The Snowball Affect

I fell victim to the snowball affect. One beer led to another, which led to another and somewhere down the mountain it finally came to a rest. But the damage was done. I parted ways with my drinking friend, the snowball enabler, and made my way to the local grass fed grocer. I was hungry, and had it in mind to make a fire and grill something up. I had just gotten out my car when a lady approached me. She was a Mexican lady about forty some.

“Will you give me a ride?”

“Where to?”

“York and fifty-six by the McDonalds.”

It didn’t take me long to figure out that she was a working-woman. She wasn’t the most attractive woman in the world, but she had a quality to her that seemed honest.

“Yeah, I give you a ride, but I need to buy a steak first.”

“Okay, honey, I’ll be at the Ninety-nine cent store, I’ll meet you back here.”
"Okay."

It felt like we were in a relationship. We had put a team together. I went into the grocery store and did my thing, and she went her way and did her thing. It was comforting to me in some way.

I picked out a steak and promptly insulted the cashier/owner.

“When’s Crosby coming back?” I asked.

Crosby is musician that plays music at the store. He was on tour.

“He’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Oh, how annoying.”

I failed to tell the owner that Crosby is a friend of mine and that I was just being sarcastic. I didn’t have time for details. The owner was looking off into the distance while I punched in the numbers to my debit card. He was agitated.

I walked out of the store and met the working-woman as planned. She got in my car, and I started to drive.

I thought about Jesus and the company he kept.

“What’s your name,” I asked.

“Maria.”

My Jesus moment took on a new meaning.

“Honey, I can do you a favor, since your giving me a ride?”
I knew what she meant by favor.

“Oh, all I have is dollar,” and that was the truth.

"You and I are in the same boat."

I kept driving.

“Turn here honey. Make a left here honey.”

I found myself in a back alley. I thought Maria was going to do something for free.

“Right here honey.”

I stopped the car. Maria got out. She said good-bye, and that was that.