He was standing in line in front of me and was going to offer to let me go ahead of him, but we both had only a few items. We laughed together. He was dressed for chillier weather, his white hair under a cap and his weathered face breaking into a smile for each pair of eyes he met. He spoke to me of white things--snow and coconut milk and snowy owls. He talked to me through his transaction and my own and then walked with me out into the parking lot. His enthusiasm was contagious.
'Have a wonderful day!' he said.
It wasn't a trite ending to a conversation. He meant it.
So I did as I was bid. I had a wonderful day.
