Don't Ask

After the puppies served me my Mother's Day breakfast in bed this morning, we were just lounging around watching some "Dog Whisperer" reruns.

But my life of luxury was brought to an abrupt halt when I rememebered I had a morning church gig and only had 10 minutes before I had to leave the house!

Sort of miraculously, I made it there on time, and got to sing a song I wrote about Mom years ago, called "Upside Down". 

As soon I got back home, I took the Ricardo's on their morning-ish walks.
And since it was Mother's Day, of course I saw a red cardinal.  I hadn't seen one in months and months.  I can't remember the last time I saw one, in fact.  But there it was, swooping just above us.  Definitely seemed to be Mom saying "Hi!"

Since Mom and I are/were both big movie buffs, I decided to take myself to the movies in the afternoon.

I went to the gross dollar theater, because that's the only spot the movie I really wanted to see was playing.  (Jeff, Who Lives at Home~ in case you're wondering.  And it was GREAT!  A funny and sweet movie I highly recommend you renting on DVD unless your $1 theater is much cleaner than mine!)

While standing in line to order my popcorn, I very weird old man with really bad teeth and body odor said hello to me.  He had said hello to everyone he passed, but it could be that I was the only one who said "hi" back.  Which I guess said to him that I was ripe for conversation...which I was not.  He asked me, "So, what'd you buy your mother for Mother's Day?" For some reason, I was just so turned off by the question and the fact that he had intruded on my personal space on a day when  I really needed it, that I answered him honestly and didn't really care if it made him uncomfortable, "My mom isn't alive anymore. So I didn't get her anything."

"Didn't get her anything... How many years ago did she die?" he asked.

And although I didn't want to answer him, or continue the conversation at all, I didn't know how to avoid just giving another honest answer.  So I gave it.  "8 years ago." And again, he repeated my response, "8 years ago..." but then, no follow up question was offered.  He walked away.  (Apparently, I think I did make him uncomfortable.  Yay, Me!)

So odd.  The man, and the fact that I engaged with him when I really didn't want to.  And the fact that Mom died 8 years ago. 

I am so glad he didn't keep asking me more questions because I realize I don't know how to politely decline in answering.

Like my mom use to say, "Don't ask if you don't want the answer."