Having run out of toothpaste, I stopped at my local CVS. I stood in the oral hygiene aisle looking around for my preferred brand of minty freshness. The shelves in this store are lower than head height for me, affording me an unobstructed view into the next aisle. As far as I could tell, I was alone in that part of the store. I perused the aisle, fending off the tempting claims of competing products. I may have muttered something aloud about Satan and not being in the mood for apple picking.

Suddenly, a spark of light caught my eye. I looked more carefully between two bottles of mouthwash on the top shelf to see a pair of blue eyes staring straight back at me! There was a person, a short person, in the next aisle watching me. The eyes never blinked. Their gaze steadfastly unaltered by discovery. Yet they didn’t surprise me. Instead, they amused me. The eyes exuded a benevolent curiosity. They may even have been laughing a little. I offered the eyes a huge smile, and then they ducked!

I couldn’t help but laugh. Did the eyes suddenly understand how appropriate it was to be caught spying between two bottles of Scope? Or was an overheard biblical reference in the face of too much advertising itself too tempting to ignore? Either way, I wished those blue eyes a pleasant afternoon as I walked away with my usual brand in hand.

A reply was neither received nor expected. It occurred to me that the shelf obscured whether the eyes had the means to offer me a reply. Which made me giggle again because, although we never actually met, I’m pretty sure I could pick those disembodied eyes out of a lineup. Some things you just don’t forget. I’m sure the eyes won’t either.