*Disclaimer* The following conversations may have taken place prior to the six month block of time I previously mentioned. I am just using a few of the experiences I can remember the best.*
[C] You having a bunch of people over? Like a party?
[M] Uh...yeah! Yeah, we are having a get together.
[C] Cool. Like a birthday party?
[M] ....yep. My son is turning two. Having the grandparents over for dinner.
[C] My husband's friend's cousin has a baby. She's so cute. The other day she said momma! It sounded like [person imitating a small child].....
[M] .....yeeahhh.....kids are funny.
[C] Do you use brown sugar a lot?
[M] Um, no, not a lot. I just ran out.
[C] You must use a lot if you ran out! What do you use it for?
[M] Cooking. I cook and bake with it.
[C] Like, all the time? What do you put it in? I've never used it before!
[M] Well I use it in certain baking recipes and I have a few dinner recipes that call for a small amount.
[C] That is crazy. I have never used brown sugar. I don't even know what you'd use it for.
[M] ???
[C] Are you going to make a pie? (Scanning two cans of cherry pie filling)
[M] No, just a dessert.
[C] Like a cherry pie?
[M] Not exactly. Just a dessert that requires cherry pie filling.
[C] I don't know what dessert you'd make with cherry pie filling that isn't a pie!
[M] It's not a cherry pie. It's more like a cobbler, I think. I can't remember the name of it. It's for a Father's Day dessert.
[C] Well I hope they like cherry pie stuff!!
[C] Where did you find this?! (Cannot remember what it was they were asking about)
[M] Oh, it was over on the aisle with (whatever aisle it was on)
[C] Woah. I have got to get one of these. Do you know how much it was?
[M] .........ummmm no. I can't remember.
[C] Oh look! I scanned it and it said it was $5.99! That's a good deal!!!
Don't get me wrong. I do not mind chatting with people, even at the store. It just feels very weird when they start closely examining each item I am purchasing, ask lots of questions and get a little personal. I don't even mind awkward conversation, just not about all the stuff I'm buying right then. I would also like to mention that I am ALWAYS nice to people at the grocery store. I make a point to be kind because you never know what kind of stuff someone is dealing with. Plus, I see too many people who are cold and rude to these employees on a regular basis. So, I try to engage them in a friendly way. It's a lot harder during these types of chats. I get really weird and never know what to say exactly.
It never fails though- if someone is going to talk about something weird, I'm the person they go to. I think I seem very approachable.