Waiting In Line

Just back from Food Bank Saturday. Food bank today was okay but not stellar but am indeed grateful for what I was granted today. I got the food bank early well earlier than usual. I usually end up getting there about an hour into their two-hour time. I was wondering if I went earlier then I usually do would the waiting line be any shorter.. Oddly enough I don't think the time when one arrives makes a whole hell of a lot of difference. Maybe a little bit, there is only three or four people ahead of me but I arrived at least 15 minutes early so I still had to wait that time to my waiting.

I'm always amazed at the caliber of conversation happening in the lines waiting for food. Today there are more women and kids been usual I thought. I at first thought by the lack of conversation that no one knew each other but I was wrong. One of the women noted the other looked tired and asked how she was. The tired looking woman had been up all night in her car. She'd gone to help someone and when she was done to car would not start. She did not want to leave the vehicle unattended in that neighborhood and she spent the night keeping vigil on her vehicle. She could not get anyone on her cell phone to help her. She was tired and it shows. Two others when, one lady was a bit older but looked quite well taken care the other possibly older than the first was quite hammered it looked like she'd been through the mill just twice. I was astonished when after a few minutes the hammered when begin their tail of numerous trips to the various medical clinics for chemotherapy. Two endoscopies and babysitting a friend who was at stage IV cancer. I was even more astonished to find the two older women were sisters. The blonde lady in front of me had been very quiet then she to enter the conversation and she knew the two sisters! This blonde at all about having car problems which kept her up all night as well.

It's hard to tell how long the line is. People standing in line often accompanying others in the line. So what might be four people ahead of you could only be two if the other two are there to assist the other person in line. Was kind of weird to me is a process at this food bank where people can leave their baskets, containers even suitcases which they bring to collect their food. They can leave their article there in line like a marker then leave to do something else. I suspect many goal sit in their cars. It's just disconcerting. Today for instance one young person walked out and got herself at the of the line. Nobody said anything except eyebrows shot up. Then, this other woman who had never seen before start explaining the kids actions by saying she invited the adolescent women because last week this woman had come down on the adolescent for cutting in line but turns out the adolescent had a good reason. So this week the woman was letting the adolescent cut in line and confessing their shortcomings with the adolescent the week before. I try not to get upset which I did okay, I had a book to read in the adolescent was kind of cute but I'm sure there's a lot more of the story that I was hearing. My experience is been if I get bent out of shape I'm usually embarrassed when I hear explanations. I think it was just best just, to turn my head and wait in line.