more than a grocery cart

I was sitting in a grocery store parking lot, about to leave. My phone rang. Nephew T had "one question." Yeah. Right.

A young woman, late 20s, maybe early 30s, rolled out of the store with her young fam. She had three little ones with her--ages maybe 7, 4 and 2, the youngest sitting in the cart's baby seat. A gray-haired older woman, maybe her mother, was with them too. Young woman popped the hatchback door of her cute little SUV and emptied the grocery cart. She unloaded the littlest one and plopped her in the rear driver seat. The door closing securing baby girl closed pretty quick. I wonder if little one got buckled in.

My phone convo continues but I keep watching.

Having one of my own, I notice that none of the youngsters were wearing jackets. Not even baby girl. Mom and Gray Hair did, though. There was a definite chill in the air. 50-something.

My convo was going strong. I kept watching.

The time came for her to leave but what happens with the grocery cart? There was a cart corral about thirty feet away, just past one row of cars. Surely this mother, with little ones watching, would have an interest in setting an example for her little ones.

My phone mate said something funny and I broke up laughing.

It was just too far to walk and Gray Hair lost her voice... forgot to speak up and ask "what's wrong with you??" as Mom moved the cart a few feet away from her small SUV so it wouldn't scratch her car. There is a slight pitch in the parking lot--it runs downhill, slightly--so down the hill the cart commenced to roll. Gravity was doing what it do. Bang! against one vehicle, bouncing off, and it continued to roll still. Fortunately it got caught on a curb before rolling into one of the busiest streets in this part of town.

Mom and Gray Hair were oblivious. It wasn't their car.