Everyday Miracles

So I just came back from the Dollar Store. I was on a paintbrush run, stocking up on some cheapies before dropping the $200 bucks for the few good basics. The funny thing about dollar store paint brushes is that right on the package in bold gold lettering, it reads, 'Artist Quality!' Any real artist quality paintbrush costs upward of $20 a piece. These are 2 for $1. My painting teacher (an eccentric wiry fiery tiny woman, who raises chickens & dogs in the back yard of her residential area home, but omg can she paint) used to bark, 'What?! Do you think you can paint a masterpiece with these shit brushes?!' I love when people just tell it like it is...

While I was at the Dollar store, I had a great conversation with the lady at the till. She was wearing white church gloves to work on a Saturday. I know her well enough to joke round, and she's the type of person who tells it like it is too - so I commented, 'Lovely gloves.'

She whipped her gloves off and held her hands in the air for inspection. 'Eczema!' she protested. 'Feel how hot my hands are!' She grabbed my arm and held on too long, and her hands indeed were burning. 'Don't worry' she assured me, 'it's not contagious. I got it 10 years when my mother was dying of cancer. They said she had six days to live, BUT 26 DAYS I TELL YOU it took for her to finally die! I was so stressed out, I drank beer from 8 in the morning til 10 at nite! And I don't even like beer!'

I nodded in understanding. She continued, "AND, while I was there, I developed the worst stress related eczema because IT TOOK 26 DAYS FOR MY MOTHER TO FINALLY DIE!, right here on my face, by my mouth!' She pointed to the corners of her mouth. 'Then the pharmacist showed up one day and told me, 'Don't use cortisone on your excema - USE VAGISIL! OR CANESTEN!'

'You're kidding', I queried. 'OH YES! she expounded excitedly, 'And VAGISIL is excellent for cold sores, too - because at the centre of every cold sore, is a tiny pocket of yeast - and that's what VAGISIL kills - yeast!'

'I'm going to go home and blog this!' I told her. 'This might end up being an everyday miracle for eczema and cold sore sufferers everywhere!'

We smiled conspiratorially, picturing men everywhere purchasing vagisil for their faces...

***

You know, it doesn't take much to hunt down an everyday miracle. People are full of them, and in fact, are them. Today I'm remembering that:




And so does every tube of vagisil.