Free Shipping

                            "Free Shipping"

    It's 3am and I'm up! Eyes wide open...with, I'm sure, most of

my fellow seniors everywhere. Maybe our aches and pains woke u

us, or we have to go to the bathroom or to add something to our 'To

Do' list. Could be all three reasons.

"Again, Ma?" said my daughter Debbie when I told her over

the phone. "You say that every day...what's it about?"

I explained it, and added, "also, y'know... worrying."

"Why? We're all ok."

I nodded,..."The World. I'm worrying about The World."

"The what???"

"The World", I repeated, "your world, my world..."

And then over the phone I sensed her eye roll, her first of the day,

(but probably not her last,)

 "So...how does it help your....our world when you get up

 at night and worry about it?"

"I know, you're right" I said, and the usual cliches popped

into my head;

 'Life is too short to spend it worrying.' 

'Stay in the moment, not in tomorrow.' 

'It could always be worse!'

'Worry causes wrinkles.' (Ha! Now they tell me!))
                                                          
"But Deb, I do try to go back to sleep. I turn on the TV..."

"The TV," she interrupted,  "how can that put you to sleep. If

anything it'd keep you awake...you'd want to see how the

movie  ends..."
                          
"Uh uh, no way do I watch a movie...too risky, they'll throw a

 surprise ending at you, maybe something awful! I also don't watch

 crime shows, hospital dramas... no hurt children, or lost dogs,

 and never news, especially breaking news! "

"Well, that's everything!" said Debbie."So, what else is there...

 'Housewives'"?

 "Ugh, and more ugh! They're too nasty for me in the middle of the

 night...or the middle of the day for that matter." No,

 I watch the shopping channel. They sell everything at that

 hour, from soup to nuts, literally... to women's clothing,

that's my favorite. Now they're showing summer dresses, pants,

tops in colors like 'majestic purple', 'azaela pink', 'geranium'..."

" Mmmm... nice," said Debbie,"that must send you back to sleep."

"Well... yes and no. Some of the T shirts in the designers'

collection's are named with delicious sounding colors such as

'papaya', 'peach', 'pink grapefruit','apricot,' 'cranberry',

'watermelon', and 'candy apple red'! Ohhh, that sends me alright,

 into the kitchen.

 "Ma, no."

"Then, after my snack, I called the TV station to order some T's..."

"Why, you could've ordered them this morning...at a normal time."
  
"No, they were offering 'free shipping' but only for that hour...they

know their audience, we seniors watch our 'pennies'"

"Yeah, I know, like using your tea bag over again..."

I laughed, that was one of Debbie's favorite subjects, me and my

tea bags.

"So, what did you buy?"

I couldn't speak, a yawn was coming on... a big one...

"Ma? Are you there?"

"Uh ...I gotta go... talk to you later."

"Are you ok ?"

I was sinking fast, "Nap...need a nap," I grunted a few

more incoherent words, and hung up the phone.

                                        THE END