Take My Breath Away
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take. Life is measured by the moments that take our breath away.”
— Hilary Cooper
Indeed. Yesterday, at Whole Foods in Metairie, I was picking up a few items while Tin was in Sunday school. At the check out line, a man came up behind me and picked up a Valentine’s card that was on the floor and handed it to me. It said, “We Otter Hold Hands” and had two otters floating bellies up holding hands. I said, “It’s not my type of card,” as we both read it together and searched for the rack it fell from.
Not my type of card, but he was my type of man, a tall drink of water, crazy locks, and soft eyes and a gentle demeanor.
I paid for my groceries and was balancing a cup of coffee as I put the bags in the cart, he picked up the heaviest bag and put it in the lower basket for me. Again, those eyes. Thank you, honey, I said.
When I walked outside, I couldn’t find my truck and was a little dazed from the encounter and walked in the wrong direction, only to spot it across the way and come back to find the man parked directly next to me. He was finishing up and about to pull out when I turned to return my cart and was face to face with him. He put on the brakes, looked at me, his windows down on this beautiful day, and I said, “Happy Valentine’s Day” – he smiled and drove off.
I got into the truck and realized my hand was shaking and my heart was racing. Wow, what?
The day went by and I couldn’t shake our encounter. Should I have? Why didn’t he? And so I did the unfathomable, me who loathes the concept of online dating, I posted on Missed Connections on Craig’s List. So far I’ve had three responses from men who would like to fill in for that tall drink of water, but he is the one I want to connect with.
What was that all about? Seems like he and I had some powerful history between us because how many times does someone make your hand shake and your heart bang against your chest who you’ve just met in the check-out line? Not often, I’m here to tell you. Will I see him again? Does it matter?
The importance of these encounters I pondered at 2 AM: I’m still feeling it I say about Sty, I say about my Whole Foods Valentine – and even if they be crumbs towards the feast, they are all helping to pry open this big RED heart and so I welcome them with an outstretched hand.
