(written by Terry MacNeil, on February 11-12, 2025)

While in town today, I heard there was a sale at the grocery store for frozen chips (aka french fries). At our grocery stores, there seem to be fewer brands of frozen chips than there used to be – and the ones that are still on the shelves, are usually pretty pricy. So I planned on “stocking up” (as in, buying AT LEAST several bags of frozen chips).

Earlier today, I get to the frozen chip section of the grocery store – and the frozen chips are almost entirely cleaned out. But I am able to score THE LAST two bags of frozen chips, much to my delight (there were some bags of “string cut” frozen chips left, but I sure as fuck didn’t want them – because of so many times I nearly burned down the house while cooking them).

After securing the frozen chips, I noticed another person who was at the frozen chips section. And it was an elderly dude in a wheelchair with one leg. I noticed he had trouble opening the fridge door, then he looked at what was available – and saw they didn’t have what he wanted. In my mind, it was clear he wanted the frozen chips I had just thrown in my cart.

After seeing that, my mind did a ton of stupid mental cartwheels. At first, I wondered “Should I offer him the frozen chips from my cart?” BUT THEN I immediately worried “What if he assumes I’m being condescending (because he’s very visibly physically disabled) and takes offence from my offer?”

As I write this now, I am reminded of advice my psychic gave me back in the day – “Don’t overthink things”. Well, I overthought things – and I ended up NOT offering the frozen chips to the disabled dude (which is what I should’ve done). THEN, as if the universe wanted to remind me of my cowardice – as I later went down various aisles in the grocery store, I kept running into the disabled dude. That was a case of the universe making it even more clear that I had NOT done “the right thing” – but by then I was worrying about it being “too late” to do what I SHOULD’VE done earlier.

So earlier today – I failed as a human being. If the disabled dude had not been visibly disabled – I’m PRETTY FUCKING SURE I would’ve offered him the frozen chips. I don’t know why, but I had it in my head that if I offered the visibly disabled dude my frozen chips – he’d take offence, and bite my head off. In retrospect, and on second thought – the odds of that happening were NIL. But I (needlessly) worried about it at the time.

In closing, I am reminded of the ten billion memes I’ve seen over the years that go on about “compassion” and “courage” being the same thing. I agree! But TODAY, as far as compassion and courage goes – I was a complete FAILURE.

My spirit guides are going to give me so much shit about this when I’m asleep tonight. Ⓐ