Whilst in the queue waiting to be allowed into the supermarket, there was a young couple immediately in front of me. More than six feet in front of me. They were clearly making the most of this adventure and, as we neared the entrance, he dispatched her to collect a trolley. Once they were in possession of said trolley, they proceeded to muck about – she trying to climb into it, he to dismantle it to see how it could perhaps be repurposed as… I don’t know what, but he was having a lot of fun and doing no actual damage.
I found this very funny and started to examine my own trolley to see if it would come apart in the same way as theirs (it would, but I was very subtle in my investigations). As we shuffled forwards, I also joined them in trying to surreptitiously ride on the trolley (I love doing this in the store – it annoys my husband no end). Their enjoyment certainly cheered me up in an otherwise slightly unaccustomed and unnerving situation.
It was only when we neared the front of the queue that I noticed a sign which urged people to shop alone, thus making this flippant and joyful couple properly in breach of the ‘rules’. I was quite happy to ignore the fact that of course we are not supposed to ride on the trolleys or be silly in our use of them, but the ‘one person’ seemed somehow more serious. So, I had to stop smirking and mucking about myself and get down to the serious job of being a middle-aged worried shopper once again.
Being British, I didn’t say anything to them of course, and they had steadfastly avoided making eye contact with anyone else at all, being in their own playful world.
Quite envious really.
But I am not currently taking my husband supermarket shopping with me. Sadly, nor am I cavorting down the aisles on the trolley myself, for fear of crashing uncontrollably into someone or even careering to within two metres of them. I suppose that should be a consideration normally, but somehow it matters a whole lot more right now