Don't be Upset, Here's some Meat!

Today the sun was beaming so I decided to take myself for a walk around town for my lunch break. Drink in the sites, sit by the castle, and have a general wander while continually fighting the urge to sit outside a pub and have a couple of ciders. I’m still a bit new in my job for that kind of behavior.

I managed to avoid the alcohol but, while walking back to the office I thought I’d treat myself by stopping in the market and staring at the animals, me. I do this quite frequently at the market or pets at home, but my all-time favourite is Harrods when they have the puppies!

After staring at the animals and not buying a single one- very proud- I started back down the stairs to leave, but as I did I walked past the butchers, and stopped to check out the meat. I know it sounds like I’m in the business of staring at things and not buying it, but what caught my eye was a string of palony. I think that’s how you spell it, I’m not sure. When I was younger I used to love palony. So whenever I stayed with my Nan and Bamps, which was a lot of weekends and most holidays, from, school Nan would always bring me back some from town in her little push trolley.

Sometimes that would be the only thing she would go in for, and it was a fair trek from town so when I look back now it’s one of those little things that makes me smile. I mean she was an amazing Nan without doing all the little things that she did for me and my cousins, but stuff like this she did because it was in her nature to do so. She liked to make us feel special, like when she would aggressively slip some cash into your hand, and when you would decline, she’d squeeze your hand shut, and say “Now don’t upset me.” Nan things like that which will always make me smile.

So while I’m there just staring at this pink meat, the butcher comes up and asks if I need help. To which I replied “no, I’m just looking.” Yes I understand how strange a thing that is to do (standing staring at a counter of meat) let alone say out loud to stranger. I explained the reason I stopped was that I noticed the palony was like the one my Nan used to pick up, and not the kind that’s covered in plastic which I see at most butchers. You know the kind that has the pink plastic and white writing. I never liked this one, and Nan knew never to pick this one up for me. What a dream she was.

 Being a really lovely chatty man he asked after my Nan, so I continued and told him the stories of her visiting town to buy palony for my visits. Before I could even get into a flow talking about Nan I started balling my eyes out, I was still smiling and continued speaking with little sobs like giant burps popping out every once in a while. I must have looked like a crazy person. He was only being polite and then he had to deal with me getting emotional over meat. He must have just assumed I was menstruating, or that I actually escaped from a hospital. So we chatted little more while I cleaned my teary face up with some tissue I found in my bag, I made my apologies and walked away through the market.

I turned to start back on the street when I heard a voice behind me shout.

“Hang on darlin’.” I turned around and the butcher was walking towards me. I stopped thinking I’d left something or dropped something, when he handed me a white bag.

“Have this, for your Nan.” Then he walked away. Wrapped up in some paper was a string of palony. I tried to pay but he wouldn’t take anything from me. This obviously set me off again, and I got back to my desk an emotional wreck, tear stained but laughing at the strangest, nicest thing that ever happened to me.

Not only because I got sad and someone gave me food, which has been a constant cycle in my long chubby life! More so because this was a perfect act of kindness from a stranger. He had no need to come after me, he gained nothing by giving me a gift, he just did it. It made me feel like I was glowing from the inside.

Sometimes we are so bogged down in the negative, in the attitude of people. We forget to be nice to each other and more so we forget the kindness of others. I often do it. The woe is me thing. Not bothering to smile at people or make small talk. It can change someone’s day. Like this made an impact on me.  

It’s nice sometimes to be reminded. Even if it’s just a gesture from a stranger.