WEEK 321
Ronald sighed and stared at the young customer. "Look around, kid. Does it look like we sell..."


...Life here?"

The kid looked up at Ronald, confused and said, "I thought they sold Life everywhere."

Ronald gave him a look and simply told him that the magazine just so happened not to be sold here.

So the kid left with his hands deep in his pockets and his head held down.

Ronald once had seen JFK on the cover of the magazine. Ronald could tell he was a good man.

Today the President of the United States had been shot and killed.

He thought back to the Life magazine and to that boy who held his head down instead of holding it high.

Now Ronald asked himself the question that all people are bound to ask; Why?

by J., Paraguay

...computer games? You will see milk, bread, meat, fruit and grocery items! I'm a grocer's shop for goodness sake. Go somewhere else for your stinkin' games!"

"That tells me a lot about you. I'm not a kid, I'm sixteen, and my name is Susan. And you're single! You over 40, and you've never even had a date have you?"

Twitching and flicking the hair from his eyes, he said, "That's right! How did you know?"

"Because you're really ugly!"

by Carolyn Ann Aish, Inglewood, New Zealand

...cigarettes in here?

The youth pulled out his driver's license and laid it down on the counter.

Ronald picked it up and turned it over in his hands. From behind the counter, he picked up a magnifying glass.

"Son, do you think I fell off the vegetable truck yesterday? Read that sign behind you."

Daniel peered at the small black print behind the register. We reserve the right to turn you away if you are rude, stupid, or plain too young.

Daniel retorted, "Well, I'm not stupid because I see Marlboro reds right there behind your head, and I'm not rude because I gave you my driver's license. And I'm certainly not too young."

"Kid, get out of my store before I have to look at your junior high I.D. one more time."

by April McCullar, Archibald, LA

...snow shoes? We're in the middle of Florida, in case you haven't noticed."

The kid started and looked shocked. "My parents told me this was Alaska."

Ronald shook his head slowly. "Nope. Florida. Always has been."

The kid appeared to think for a moment. "Okay, thanks anyway. I guess I'll have to go home and tell Mom and Dad that they've done it again. Gee, you'd think after living here for ten years, they'd finally figure out where we are! They have got to be the dumbest people I've ever come across."

by Phillip Lynne, Knoxville, TN