Alcohol

No pictures once again, but I thought I would write about what is on my mind very early this morning. For those of you that don't know, I'm working as a cashier @ the local grocery store at night. I like it, it's a change of pace, & pays $, not a lot, but enough. Besides it's hard to find a job w/ little ones @ home & not wanting daycare.

I sell a lot of alcohol & cigarettes. I mean a lot. I think it is really insane, as I don't use either. This kid, I say kid, but he must have been @ least 21 or so, comes through my line & hands me his ID. I pretty much card everyone unless they are walking with a cane. ;) He wants to buy rum or something like that. I have never had anyone use a fake ID or anything, & I didn't smell any alcohol, so I looked at the ID. It seemed to be the same guy. He wouldn't look at me. A sign I guess.

This woman comes running in the store & says, "Let's go right now." I'm guessing his mom. He says, "No, I'm going to buy this." She says, "Let's go right now." He says, "No."

I'm looking back & forth. There are other people in my line. I'm the only cashier there.

She comes closer to him says, "You don't have money for rent & you're going to spend your money on this. If you buy that, I am not helping you." He said, "I'm buying this." The woman walks away.

I look closer to the kid's face. His eyes are bloodshot. I look at his ID again. I have to make a decision. Right now.

I said, "I'm sorry, Sir. I can't sell this to you." The mother says, "He has been drinking."

I took the bottle & put it on the register behind me. He walked out with his mother.

Several people said they were yelling at each other outside & she took his keys away from him.

I wasn't supposed to be @ work. I actually requested the day off. They called & said they needed someone to close. I have closed the store 5 nights in a row...@ midnight.

What IF that mother didn't follow her son to the store?

What IF I sold him the alcohol?

What IF I wasn't working?

What IF someone else sold him the alcohol?

Thinking about all the IF's in the world wouldn't change what happened tonight.

But I can't help but think about it.

I think about how the kid was feeling...thinking drinking was going to take care of his problems.

I think about how much the mother must love her son to follow him to the store & risk embarrassing herself to try to save him.

I think about the words they probably said to each other in the front of that store.

I think about how he is going to realize someday that she was right.

I hope he makes it to that day.

I hope I never have to feel the desperation that mother felt.

I thing that is so scary about life is that you could raise your children perfectly. Teach them all the right things to do & say. Mind their manners, be polite, be kind. They still have a choice. And the choice is theirs. You can have an opinion. They might listen. They might not. They have to find out for themselves what life is all about. At times, it's great. At times, it's devastating. I know those days are ahead. You want to protect your children from all the wrong & bad in the world, but if they are going to survive in that world, they have to be exposed to it. What a double-edged sword. I hope to show my children both sides & the benefits & consequences of both. I have faith they will choose the right.