Joint Juice (A little story)

I've always wondered what it would be like to be one of those people at Costco who prepares the free samples. But usually as soon as the question enters my mind, it leaves. Until yesterday.

I went over to Costco to pick up some water bottles and Cheez-Its for the kids at work. On my way to the checkout, I passed the pharmacy section with all the three-packs of tooth paste and giant jars of vitamin gummy bears. There I saw a thin, pale-faced guy delivering small shots of Joint Juice, a "ready-to-drink glucosamine supplement."

A little girl, about 8 years old, nervously approached the lubricator of healthy joints and reached for a cup. She wore men's jeans shorts and a grandma polo shirt with little blue watering pails all over it. She had pig tails and looked like she might be a regular at the Saturday afternoon warehouse buffet, if you know what I mean. She was definitely one of those who goes back for seconds on the good stuff and probably goes for a Costco dog on the way out.

As she reached for a small cup, the type that usually holds ketchup at the neighborhood burger joint, the pale-faced guy looked at her funny.

"Are you sure you really need glucosamine?" He asked.

Just then a woman with a cart full of meat, a cart full!, snagged a cup and headed toward the toothpaste. The pale-faced guy diverted his attention to the woman.

"Would you like to know what Joint Juice is?"

She looked at him like he was intrusive for asking, infringing on her rights to privacy.

That is it, my glimpse into the life. I looked back and smiled as I made my way to the shortest check stand before a guy with a flatbed of paper towels and toilet paper beat me to it.