As you know, I'm a little obsessive about what the little angel eats.  Not as bad as some, but I do have intense guilt pangs if she eats macaroni and cheese, hot dogs or deli meat more than once in a given week.  I buy salt-free canned goods and no-hormones milk.  Recently, I was talking to a friend about this, and she told me you can buy preservative-free deli meat.  Tra la!

Last night the little angel and I ventured to the grocery store in search of such a thing.  As I was talking to the deli counter guy about this, an older man leaned in to listen.  I thought he looked maybe 80.  The deli counter guy offered the little angel not only a sample of the turkey, but also an entire piece of cheese (I could hardly believe the luck - a whole grocery store snack for nothing!).  She liked it, so we bought some, even though I knew my beloved would lecture me when I got home for buying lunchmeat that costs $7 a pound.  The old man leaned in again.

Old Man:  "What did you ask for?"

Me: (startled)  "Oh, I didn't ask you a question.  I asked him a question."

Old Man:  (obviously more in possession of his hearing and faculties than I thought) "Oh, I can hear you. I was just wondering what you bought."

Me:  "Oh, it's a wondrous thing - preservative-free lunchmeat."

The old man smiled at the little angel.  "Well, I've been eating the preservatives for 95 years.  It's the sugar that's kicking my ass now."

My jaw dropped.  A swearing, 95-year-old man!  Right there at the deli counter!  Shopping by himself!  I think he might have driven there! AND, he ate lunchmeat his whole life. They probably cured it with SALT when he started eating it.  And stored it in an ice box, because there was probably not refrigeration or even cars when he was a spring chicken.

Unbelievable.  People shock the hell out of me, every day.