A couple of years ago, the manager at the grocery store almost called the cops on me over my taking a picture of this smiling cake. Even showing him my biz card covered in Smiley photos couldn’t diffuse his indignation over my innocently snapping pictures in the bakery department.
Good grief, I had on a smiley t-shirt, was carrying a smiley keychain, and had a smile on my face. Besides, all the bakery workers knew me; I often bought single cupcakes or muffins just because they had a Smiley Face. Sometimes they’d even beckon me over to proudly show me a Smiley they’d found.
I do have to be honest. He’d asked me not to take pictures once before. I was hoping he’d forgotten. It was months ago. No such luck. Plus, it seemed like such a goofy rule.
His reasoning was that in the wee hours of his 24 hour store, teenagers came in and videoed themselves up to no good teenage shenanigans, like sword fights with baguettes. They then posted those videos up on You Tube. I’m kind of thinking, no big deal, dude. Lighten up. No one was shooting up crack or shooting up your store. And anyway, it wasn’t the wee hours, I wasn’t being destructive of sourdough*, and I certainly wasn’t a teenager (I almost rolled my eyes and said, “Duh.” But I think the humor would have been lost on him. And BTW, I think teenagers are pretty great!).
He tried to assert that I had to give him the memory card from my camera. No way! Sorry, Charlie! I never stopped smiling, but I also never had any intention of giving him my memory card. It was easy to smile. It all seemed so utterly silly.
He finally backed off when I offered to buy the cake. Then I was stuck with a giant chocolate cake. i like a piece of cake as much as the next person, but a whole cake?! No thanks.
But it was a Wednesday, and at the Community Center where I work, the seniors gather every Wednesday for ballroom dancing, with tea and snacks. After photographing my best ever Cake Smiley, I brought the cake to the dancing seniors. That was fun. Plus I got to dance the waltz with a dapper gentleman. Worked out perfectly.
Smile. Be happy. be happier!
Ruth
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*Like I’d hurt sourdough. That’s as absurd as saying I’d kick a kitten!