You know you're past your "best before" date when:
It used to be, when I went into a store in Campbell River, often someone who recognized me from school would greet me: "Hello, Mr Havelaar! Remember me?" And sometimes I did, though often he or she would have to remind me, and then I would know all sorts of by-now irrelevant details about the person. But that hasn't happened for some time.
Today the bike I hardly ever ride lost its front brake. It's a disc brake, and Jay, who is our bike expert, pronounced its repair beyond his ability. So I rode it to "Pedal Your World", our local bike shop. "What can we do for you?" asks one of their bike-mechanic youths. "The front brake doesn't work, and my son says he can't fix it". "That's Jay's dad!" says Garrett, who sometimes works there and who grew up in the house across our street.
And now everyone in the store suddenly knows exactly how I fit in.
It used to be, when I went into a store in Campbell River, often someone who recognized me from school would greet me: "Hello, Mr Havelaar! Remember me?" And sometimes I did, though often he or she would have to remind me, and then I would know all sorts of by-now irrelevant details about the person. But that hasn't happened for some time.
Today the bike I hardly ever ride lost its front brake. It's a disc brake, and Jay, who is our bike expert, pronounced its repair beyond his ability. So I rode it to "Pedal Your World", our local bike shop. "What can we do for you?" asks one of their bike-mechanic youths. "The front brake doesn't work, and my son says he can't fix it". "That's Jay's dad!" says Garrett, who sometimes works there and who grew up in the house across our street.
And now everyone in the store suddenly knows exactly how I fit in.
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