Paper or Plastic?

Seconds after joining the long line at the grocery store today, the young mother in front of me turned around and eyed me quizzically for about 6 seconds, then asked if I would mind watching her cart and baby while she ran to the bathroom.  Before I had even finished saying "Of course!" she was sprinting towards the front of the store.  Her son, who was probably just over a year old watched her leave, then looked at me, stuck out his bottom lip, and started to cry.  I picked him up and showed him the cover of US Weekly and People to try to cheer him up.  (It totally worked.  Kim Kardashian's boobs will cheer anyone up, I think).  I noticed that the mother had also left her wallet in the cart.  I was pleased that, after her quick evaluation of me, she decided that I was someone trustworthy enough to be in charge of her baby and her wallet for a few minutes.  I mean, you just never know if your coming off to the world as a creep.  (Actually, I've never thought that I was coming off as a creep - but this was a good confirmation that I definitely am not).

Once the baby calmed down, I started to notice that her cart had a lot more vegetables in it than mine did.  Things like swiss chard and rhubarb along with all the usual suspects; carrots, potatoes and broccoli.  And they were all organic.  And she had free range eggs, and organic milk and orange juice.  And organic chicken.  And organic chocolate.  I started to compare my non organic vegetables, fritos and 80% lean ground beef (I'm making taco soup tonight!) and I started to feel just a smidge inferior.  I concluded that she was likely healthier, more financially stable,  happier, and loves her family more than I love mine, because she was only buying the best for them.  Then I remembered, oh yea - she left her baby with a stranger! 

And then she came back and thanked me.  And when the bagger said "paper or plastic?" I totally expected her to pull out her own bags and say "I brought my own, thank you".  Or at the very least - say "paper".  But she didn't.  She asked for plastic.  And when it was my turn to answer the question "paper or plastic?"  My pride and self worth returned as I said, "I brought my own, thank you".