No regrets...

I met someone very interesting today.

She deserves a blog all of her own...

As I stood in the queue for my lottery ticket, (of which I won absolutely bugger all) she stood in the queue in front of me. She turned back to me and the conversation, went more or less like this...

"You have a lot of shopping..." She remarked at me, surveying the trolley in front of me.
I nod, "three boys eat a lot of food."
"Three boys? Wow...did you never want a girl?"
"Nope, never regret what you have...I am hoping my boys will look after me in my old age."
She looks at me, "I never had children. Was never that type."
I shrug at her, "I never thought I would, but hey things happen."
"Maybe, I just knew that I didn't really do children. Men, however were a different thing." With this she smiled at me wickedly, "a lot of men."
The lady behind me in the queue starts coughing...a lot.

At this point she gets called to the till, and I call after her, "you and I need to talk more."
After obtaining our purchases she waits for me in the aisle. "It was always the men I loved dear," she states, "many lovers, many friends."

I can not believe that this woman is confessing to me in the middle of a supermarket...she is really on a roll here.
"My last love affair finished when I was 47... An American, who used to fly over to see me...I used to wear those baby doll nighties that were all the rage then." She said, reminiscing. "It was amazing."
"Why did it end?" I ask in all innocence, and she smiles again....
"Oh I had a call about midnight one night...from his wife."
"Oh."
"Yes...unfortunately I only ever saw him one time more. Shame really, we were perfect for each other. I often think of him."
"So no one since? "
"No, no one since...many before him, but no one since. No one else compared."
"That seems very sad. Don't you worry about being alone?"
"No," she laughed at me, "I am very independent. I just turned 87, and my favourite thing is a cigarette with a glass of wine.  I am very happy, and like you said...one should never have regrets."

Isn't it incredible that some people walk into your life, tell you their life story and it makes sense? Angela was actually an adorable looking elderly woman; fantastically interesting...and empowering.

No regrets.