#257 Eating a free sample of something you have no intention of buying

Why hello, little cup of strawberry-banana punch. How you doing, pepper-dill crackers? Don’t mind if I do, spicy salami wrapped around a piece of melon.

Yes, eating a free sample of something you have no intention of buying is a great way to stay on top of what’s happening at the grocery store. You swish the new drink, chew the new gum, toss back a tiny cup of the new pasta dinner, and introduce your tastebuds to a little surprise.

Assuming you don’t actually like the product, maybe you do what I do and pretend you’re going to buy it anyway so you don’t hurt the sweet, heavily lipsticked Sample Lady’s feeling. So you pick up the box of dry crackers, salty salami, or all-noodle-no-cheese lasagna and say, “Hmmm. $4.29? Not bad, not bad. And I get a fifty-cents-off coupon too? Hmmm.” Then you smile back at her, toss it in your cart, and say, “Why not! Thank you very much!”

Then you roll out of sight and guiltily drop it in another aisle.

AWESOME!

— Email message —

“I am an elementary teacher and it’s my job to teach the curriculum but it is my honour to also encourage values, life skills and positivity in my students. After reading The Book of Awesome I shared the ideas in your book with my Grade 4 class. Each student then recorded their own awesome things for our class bulletin board. Here are some of them:  Water balloon fights. Water gun fights. Biting a water balloon. Having a computer. Basketball and wildlife. When you’re in the airport or on the plane. I love when the birds sing. Having a nightmare and waking up to find something awesome (e.g. it’s your birthday). TV and my puppies. Going on the Bohemith. Playing melon tag with root beer. The smell of sunflowers. Playing paint ball. Laughing so hard your stomach aches as you roll on the floor and try to breathe.” – Miss Vacrinos & 29 Grade 4 students

Photo from: here