Cause you'd be oh, so easy to love....

I don't have to buy gas very often any more because my life has been simplified to the passing of the same strip of about ten miles back and forth. However, it does happen that I buy gas on occasion. Typically, I take the time to go the extra two miles for the cheaper gas because it is worth my time. Though, the other day, my car's blinking orange light seemed invigorated and the milage for the tank read four hundred. I couldn't remember how accurate it was seeing as I couldn't remember the last tank, so I made a split decision to stop at a station that was the second lowest gas prices in three cities. I pumped my gas and walked into the store to pay in cash. Without any acknoweldgement at all by the beautiful woman behind the counter who kept on with her conversation in Hindi and mid-breath said, "seveteen, sixty-three," resumed her Hindi immediately and held out her hand. I gave her a twenty and the young man replied to her in English about a computer engineering degree would be perceived more useful for that type of work. I smiled politely as the woman spoke two bits English in return and flushed back into Hindi while handing me my change. It struck me as I walked away from the counter that not once did anyone speak to me other than to say give me your money. Now, I live in a rural, southern, small town. It is impossible not to be spoken to even if I go into the grocery store and go throught the self check out line. Everyone nods with colloquialisms sputtered inertly out of their mouth with no real expectation of return, just in passing. No one ignores socially. No one. Politeness is the essence of the society. People will call you ugly and make it sound like a compliment. There is nothing about the society I live in that conveys ignorance. Well. . .hmm. . . anyway, this woman ignored me completely and for the first time in my life, I noticed and was almost offended. I conjured up my city smarts that I possesed from my former life instead of being offended and blew it off. It made me realize that I am no longer a city mouse.