Nuts - SOLD

Maybe because this happened when I was younger it embarrassed me so much.  I was grocery shopping with my three small children.  My oldest son Matt was around 8 years old,  my daughter, Allie was 5 and my youngest, Adam was 6 months or so.  Adam was sitting in the grocery cart seat and Matt and Allie were running around the cart.  If you have ever been a young mother just trying to keep your sanity with your kids running around you crazy then you might understand how I was feeling.  I was trying to grab groceries off the shelves, keep Adam occupied and keep the other two in sight.  I hurriedly pushed my cart up to a salesman in the store and asked,  "Excuse me but where are your nuts?."  As soon as the words came out of my mouth I knew I had messed up but it was too late.  NO!!! NO!! NO!!! I thought, I did not just say that!  I could feel all the blood in my body rush to my face and I told myself to just keep eye contact.  And definitely I should not look down.  Even my children were aware that those words could have a different connotation.  The man smiled slightly at my discomfort and pointed two rolls away and said, "The PECANS are on aisle 5".  I could not get away fast enough.  

The next week when I went in to work, the charge nurse asked me to go to room 121 and take out the patient's IV, change his dressing and provide discharge teaching.  She explained the patient had a hernia repair three days ago.  I went to meet the patient, I explained what I was going to do and proceeded to remove his IV.  He was looking at me very intently and then he said, "You look so familiar to me but I cannot place you."  I replied that I was not from the area but moved there two years previously.  Then I asked him, "Where do you work?"  He said, "Kroger".  Realization hit me and him at the same time.  I slapped the bandaid on his hand and almost tripped trying to get out of the room.  I ran to the medicine room and closed the door behind me.  My friend came into the room right after me and asked, "What is wrong with you?  I just saw you running down the hall."  I said. "Beverly, please go and discharge my patient for me.  I cannot remove his dressing!  Trust me.  He might think that I really want to look under his sheet."

I had many more embarrassing moments during my nursing career but this one still makes me uncomfortable.  I cannot believe I am even writing this.  But I did learn from this. I learned that in every grocery store, the pecans are usually in the baking aisle near the cake mixes.  I never ask now.