Mini-Mayhem at the Mall

In case of emergency, administer raisin pretzel by mouth immediately!!!

 

By now you know me well enough to know that I don't go around drawing attention to myself, right?  I don't wear loud colors or dye my hair pink or chew a huge wad of chewing gum or carry a handbag that looks like the butt of an old pair of jeans.  I'm basically a low-key person and blend in fairly well with others.  I mind my own business and hope that others will do the same. 

A few months ago, my girlfriend and I agreed to meet every weekday and walk our local mall's designated path which was supposed to be approximately a mile.  It sounded like fun - I could walk, talk and do some store window scanning along the way (like window shopping, only faster) - it's the best of all worlds!  

I was psyched and ready to go.  Excited and feeling very optimistic about this new adventure, we began to walk at a fairly brisk rate.  Now, mind you - I'm a mere 5'2" tall and my legs are very short.  My girlfriend is 5'7" and has legs that don't quit.  We had two totally different strides - I was almost running to keep up with her pace!  I had a sort of turkey trot thing going on - skipping and hopping every third step or so just to keep up!  I was wearing down quick!

This was not a situation I was at all prepared for.  I had not even thought ahead one bit about how we were so mis-matched in our strides.  It was a challenge, but I thought I could deal with it.  Bless her heart, she was trying to take smaller steps - I could tell she felt bad about it - but she can't help it she is built like a giraffe! 

I was doing alright, or so I thought.  By the time we got to round two, I could feel my blood sugar begin to drop and I knew I needed to do something - get something to eat or drink pretty quick.  I began to look around, hoping to find just a little bit of sugar - it wouldn't take much - just enough to get me through this walk. 

My friend was talking a mile a minute, which is nothing unusual.  I was half-listening, but really had my mind on getting ahold of some sugar.  I carry glucose gel, but it was not on me - it was in my bag, which was locked in the trunk of my car.  I had my keys but we were too far away from the car.  I had to think fast!!!  What could I do???

About that time, the stores were beginning to open.  We turned the corner for round two, and I smelled coffee!  I had not had a cup of coffee yet and it really smelled good!  My initial thought was, "Where there is coffee, there are sugar packets!"  As we got closer, I realized it was the pretzel shop! 

When was the last time you had a pretzel - I mean a real pretzel, not those tough little stick things in a bag you buy at the grocery store.  There are carbohydrates galore in those real pretzels, aren't there???  But I was desperate and made an announcement to my friend (who is thankfully not a diabetic):

"My blood sugar is crashing, and I am going to stop here and buy a pretzel and a cup of coffee!" 

With those words, I proceeded to pass out!!!

When I came to, I was surrounded with EMS people and folks with mall security and a couple of folks who worked at the mall's pretzel shop.  Of course, my friend stood over me looking as though she may pass out herself at any given moment - she was so worried about me.  I think it really scared her! 

I tried to sit up.  "Oh, now take it easy - I think you're ok, but take it slow", the EMS guy advised.  When I sat up, my girlfriend turned and grabbed a cup of still steaming hot coffee, fixed just the way I like it - and a raisin pretzel without the icing, my favorite.  Does this woman know me, or what???

I've heard that if you have five good friends in this life, you are truly blessed.  My friend - she's a keeper - even if she is built like a giraffe!  Some friends would have been scared off by something like that - but not her.  She just keeps hanging around with me - even though I caused a little mini-mayhem at the mall that morning.

Enjoy NATIONAL PRETZEL DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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