A Distracted Moment

Yesterday I spent the entire day running errands.  I had put them off as long as I could.  Using vanilla creamer for the boys’ cereal  was no longer an option.  I ran here and ran there and inevitably ended up at the Wal-mart.  (I laugh when people say “the” Wal-mart and that’s really the only way to say it to get the true feeling of the crazy people in that store some days. You have to say it with a southern drawl as well for the best effect.  “I went down to The Wal-Mart.”)

Any hoo…

I found a parking spot right by the front door which is unheard of at The Wal-Mart. (Made you laugh this time didn’t I?)  I was thrilled.  I grabbed my list and away I went. I got q-tips, and cotton balls, and toothpaste and the like and before you know it, I’d wasted the better part of 45 minutes roaming the aisles.

I check out with Claudia, who couldn’t stop talking about her break, which should have happened twenty minutes earlier.   She was not happy and was taking it out on my deodorant and lotion bottle.  Let’s just say they did not go gently into the sack.

Any hoo…

I took my three bags out of the cart and headed through the gumball machines and large doors, when I saw it.

Right in front of me was an ivory SUV with its back door gate to the car wide open.  I thought how strange is that?  They even had a blanket wrapped up in the back just like our picnic blanket I kept in the back of our car.

I looked at it again and walked toward my car.

Wait.

I had a moment of fear wash through me like I’ve never felt before.

That WAS my car.  Somehow I must have hit the gate door button twice and it opened when I got out of the car to go in and didn’t even notice.  I walked slowly to the car and walked around it one full time to see if anyone was in the car.   My saving grace was that I had parked right on the front row smack in front of the doors.  Who in their right mind, with the entire population of The Wal-mart watching, would enter the car from the gate or take something?

I must have looked quite silly, because when I was certain no one was in the car, I walked around and opened each door and looked behind all the seats just to be sure.

I hopped in the car, pressed the “gate” button on the controls and sat silently for a minute before I started the car.   I quickly said a prayer of thanks and took the reminder to stay a bit more focused on what I was doing and to not get distracted as I apparently was earlier. 

Take this lesson of mine and walk mindfully through your day.  Pay attention to the details and don’t get caught up in the distractions that come your way today.  Focus on each task carefully and if you have to go to The Wal-mart, make sure you park on the front row!