Hospitality Head-On

I have shared before that one of my Lenten practices this year is hospitality. I'm really making an effort to talk to others. I've been doing well and making new friends in unusual places. Saturday I shared a laugh with a lady at Wal-Mart whose husband was yelling down the aisle at her, frustrated because he couldn't find the right kind of Coke and because he had children with him. Adam acted the same way when I made him come to Wal-Mart with me. So, I counted that as a victory, but then I realized I was running out of time and needed to get home. I still had Costco to get to. So when I was at Costco, I was weaving around people with my humongous basket and checking items off my list as quickly as possible. I had tunnel vision and was feeling important and accomplished. "Look at me! I just passed right by those samples! Oh yeah. I haven't bought any impulse items! I'm in a hurry and I can't be distracted! I'm important and focused!" That worked great, until I was in the produce room and literally ran right into a lady. (With my body, not my cart, thank God.) I was so embarrassed and apologized repeatedly, and then I realized it was Stella, a friend from church! I apologized again and then explained to her how busy and important I was before I fled the scene. Then I realized that had I taken one more minute out of my day, I wouldn't have run into her, and I could have actually had a conversation with her about how she was doing, and not about how busy and important I was feeling. I get the Grrrrrr.....