I love a good lean don't you? Wether it's a carefree, crossed footed lean against a wall (always make me feel like James Dean), or realising there's no seats on the tube so you dash for the glass partition so you can lean on it!
I was lucky enough to attend the premiere of a new musical recently. At the after show party I was fascinated by a certain famous 'Dame' who at the ripe old age of 84, still managed to look in her 20's by adorning a casual lean wherever she went (and apparently with a classy wig too!)
The gentleman who served me in Sainsbury's the other day was leaning for a different reason though. With one hand on the scanner he went about his job, albeit rather slowly, using one hand so he could steady himself with the other. Lifting a bumper pack of toilet rolls that were almost as big as him, trying to scan them and then bag them with one hand would usually have made me laugh out loud, but the poor mans plight was quite clear. After what seemed like 10 minutes he had finally scanned and bagged my 3 items and I thanked him with all my heart for going the extra mile.
Off I trotted for my daily dose of .... yep you guessed it .... a coconut latte, I arrived in Pret to a rather heartwarming scene. A gentleman with a crutch was leaning against the fridges and pointing to various salads whilst an employee took his requests to the counter, another employee was ringing them up on the till, another employee then helped the gentleman over to the counter whilst two other employees looked on adoringly. Only problem was, there were no employees left to serve me or the other 5 people in the queue!
I'm usually a patient man. ....... Actually I'm lying. My worst bug bear is getting stuck behind slow walkers in the street, on the tube, in the shopping aisles etc! So although the staff were just trying to help, the foot tap and frantic watch glance had started to manifest and my brain started panicking that I was going to be 'latte' for work! Judging by the tuts and shuffles behind me the other 5 customers were feeling the heat too.
Eventually I was beckoned to the till and asked for my order. Unfortunately the employee didn't hear me as he was still gazing adoringly at the guy with the crutch. I repeated my order with a slightly sterner tone.
1 LATTE (he shouted behind him)
COCONUT!!!!!!!!!! (I shouted) .......... well by now, you know the rest!!