Startled!

     I went to the supermarket today for just a few things (which by the way translates to 3 bags and over $100.00) and I was engrossed in my thoughts as I approached my car with the cart and remotely unlocked it and opened the trunk.  I found a box of wipes there that I forgot to take inside the other day, slid them aside and turned to put the bags in the trunk and just about had a heart attack because there stood a tall young man! He had a friendly face under a pea cap and sunglasses, he was wearing a reflective safety vest with the supermarket's logo on it over his winter coat and warm gloves and was reaching for my bags. I caught my breath, chuckled and said that he had scared me as I neither saw nor heard him coming. He apologized and put my bags in the car for me, then took the empty cart and continued collecting them from the parking lot as he pushed them toward the building.   I giggled to myself all the way home thinking about that and it got me remembering other times when someone has startled me.

    The first instance that comes to mind is when I was maybe 10 years old and my eldest brother stood outside the bathroom door and jumped out at me yelling "Boo!" as I exited.  I remember screaming and grabbing the front of his shirt and shaking him, ripping the buttons off. Growing up with 3 brothers was an experience.  When I worked at the high school kitchen (a job I was forced to leave and never go back to because of the pandemic in 2020 and circumstances at home) there was a young man working there as well and he liked to scare us in a similar matter to my brother.  I, however, warned him not to do it to me and related the story about my brother and the ripped buttons saying that if I could do that at such a young age, imagine how much more damage I could do to someone now.  I guess my warning worked because he never did try to scare me.

    Another time that comes to mind was when my daughter was in the hospital for surgery and we were lucky enough to be moved to a room with no roommate for a few days (at my request due to  a roommate with a loud mother).  It was very quiet, she was sleeping, it was after 8:00 pm and the lights were low.  I was reading a Dean Koontz novel and was at a part in the story where a crazed rhesus monkey was getting ready to jump onto the protagonist when a voice said, "hello".  My heart just about beat out of my chest as I jumped and almost screamed.  It was the hospital chaplain come to see how we were doing and if we needed anything he could help with.  We both had a good laugh for a minute.

    We've all probably been startled awake by a ringing phone, loud clap of thunder, or sudden wind gust blowing something against the house in the middle of the night. Some people startle more readily than others, or maybe some of us just hide it better.  Who's to say, but I do think it's something everyone can relate to.

Well I know Thanksgiving is over, but wanted to share this here.  I hope everyone had a nice day filled with good food, people you love, and thankfulness for what you have.