When Small Talk Becomes a Major Milestone

There I was, standing in line at Costco, that magical land where you can buy a 96-inch TV

(we did!), a 24 case of assorted Modelo (We also did!), and a hot tub (we already have one!) all under one roof. My noble mission that day? Two hotdogs. One for me, one for my lovely bride.

As I stood basking in the glow of fluorescent lighting, the woman in front of me suddenly turned around and exclaimed, “Oh My God! It’s so cold! How are you in just a t-shirt?”

It was fifty-nine degrees. Fahrenheit (15 c).

“I’m from Michigan,” I said. “Back there in Winter, it’s anywhere from zero to minus twenty-five Celsius, and it snows for about four months straight.”

Her jaw dropped like a frozen popsicle. “How could you stand that!?”

“I didn’t. That’s why I left. Now I live here.”

She laughed. “Why San Luis?”

“We decided to leave the moment Trump got re-elected,” I replied. “We saw what happened the first time and thought, no gracias, let’s skip the sequel.”

She nodded solemnly. “I understand. I have family in Texas. They’re coming back as soon as they sell their house.”

Smart people, I thought.

Then she asked, “Do you like San Luis?”

“Absolutely! Almost everything’s better here. The people are warm, the food is fantastic, and even the stray dogs seem happier!”

And right on cue, like the universe wanted to underline my point, one of our friends from the club appeared, gave me a hug and a kiss, asked about Maria, and when I said she was shopping (of course), gave me another hug and a second kiss for good measure, before leaving to go shopping herself.

It was like the entire scene had been scripted by the San Luis Chamber of Commerce.

The woman smiled. “Well, welcome to San Luis!”

“Thanks!” I said, smiling back as she ordered her food.

Just small talk.

But for me, it was a MILESTONE! Because that entire conversation - start to finish, was in Spanish. My first spontaneous, unscripted small talk with a stranger. And I didn’t freeze, fumble, faint of even fart!

Later, when I told my lovely bride, she lit up with pride. It wasn’t just a linguistic leap! It was a cultural coming-of-age.

So yes, it was small talk. But in that moment, under Costco’s humming lights, with the scent of sizzling sausages and triumph in the air, it felt like a Major Accomplishment. And you know what? It was!