Satisfied/saturated ...

Marlene Terry

I laughed and laughed when I happened onto that little video I'm sharing today ... the one of the cute little girl and her reaction to an uncontrollable sneeze that happened too close for comfort.

... The expressions on her face are priceless and adorable because she's a LITTLE GIRL after all. ... And the person responsible for the sneeze? A LITTLE BOY!

Funny how we accept and forgive actions of children in our lives. But a mature grown woman? That's a whole different story.

The fact is a few days ago I watched with horror as some similar expressions appeared on the face of a customer.

OK. I'm sure by now you've guessed that the perpetrator was yours truly, who, nearly recovered and at the end of a bad cold, was suddenly beset on with one of my famous coughing spells.

... You know the kind. Everything is blissful and suddenly you feel it ... that little tickle deep down in your throat.

The pressure begins to grow and you try to act as if nothing is wrong. You press your lips tightly together in order to suppress that nasty hack from escaping. ... And then it happens ... KABOOM! 

... In addition, all that suppression churns up remnants of whatever you had in your mouth at the time, which is also propelled outward.

... I want you to know that I really was trying to hide out from everyone — especially customers. 

But those who needing help and not wanting to stand in the long lines at customer service, will happily search out any employee who doesn't seem to be busy, no matter what. ... Even if that employee is standing at a closet, door open with her head inside and her back toward the crowd, gyrating in time to a violent coughing, sneezing, gagging, attack.

"Excuse me," a deep male voice said from behind me.

"Hack, gag, hack," I responded.

"I need help to order a special foot for my wife's sewing machine," he continued, completely oblivious to my state of being . "You guys really need to keep a bigger selection on hand." 

Luckily the urge to cough out my guts, seemed to subside for a moment.

I took a deep breath and turned around — tears and other stuff, I'm embarrassed to say, running amuck down my face. 
... Thank goodness I still had part of a tissue that had survived the attack.

He, the customer continued his criticism as I filled out the paperwork for the order. And we were nearly done when he added what I'm sure he thought was a comic relief when a polite lady, seeing that I WAS busy, asked me if anyone else was available to answer a question.

"Try the closet," he said chuckling. "That's where I found her."

That's when it happened. ... that little tickle, deep down in my throat. 
... And I almost made it too.

Keeping my lips pressed tightly together, I finished up the transaction as I listened to the customer's continuing suggestions on how we should run the store. 
.... And just as I was about to thank him for the sale ... KABOOM!

... Needless to say I returned to the closet. 

... And the customer?

... He left the store ... not completely satisfied, but for sure ... completely saturated!

♦ Hope you'll let me share YOUR stories and photos here at my residence "In a Nutshell." Email me at nutshellstories@gmail.com.