I had a new battery put in my watch.
I had a new battery put in my watch and it made me feel good about the world and my place in it.
I had the new battery put in at a fairly fancy jewelry shop in the mall. You know the kind of place: elaborate lighting, highly professional staff all aged over 30, rows of glass display cases holding endless expensive trinkets meant for giving to the woman or man you love.
Normally I feel intimidated by such places. I felt intimidated tonight. When I first arrived and queued up behind another person getting a battery put in her watch, I stood with one foot in the store and one foot in the mall corridor. You know, in case I had to suddenly bolt. After standing half-in the store and smiling benignly at the world for a few minutes I decided that this was silly. I walked the rest of the way in and pretended to be interested in the watch display (Watches, good masculine thing to look at. Damn sight better than looking at the engagement rings or somesuch…).
Eventually my turn came.
During the few minutes it took the clerk to locate and install a new battery I suddenly came to like jewelry shops. Where else can you be waited on by an exceedingly personable, well-dressed and well-adorned handsome gentleman of indeterminate sexual orientation? His polite and easy manner made me feel welcome.
The battery cost about $5, which seemed a paltry sum to pay in a shop with the word “diamond” in the name, but the clerk took no notice. He simply thanked me heartily for my patronage.
I walked out of the store feeling lifted.