#17

This was the moment he chose to decide what kind of person he was going to be.

He saw that apples were three for two dollars. The apples were red and he had recently eaten a crisp and tart red apple and was looking forward to eating these, so he selected three and put them in a bag. The woman at the counter counted the apples. And then she called to the other woman at the back of the store: these are Gala apples or Pink Lady apples?

Either was satisfactory to the man. Either was crisp and tart. So he felt good and in control and optimistic.

The woman in the back responded: no they are Macintosh.

The woman at the counter must have seen his face drop because she asked: you still want them?

He did not. Macintosh were mealy. Macintosh were saccharine. Macintosh were for baking and not for snacking. But he did not say what he wanted. He nodded yes. He paid for apples he did not want. That was the kind of person he would still be.