“Don’t Judge a Book by It’s Cover”

Russ and I got more dressed up today than we have in the last seven months. Not that dressed up, but nice enough to go to Raliegh to sign our new wills. It was the first time we have left the house together and gone farther than the Harris Teeter together since we went to the mountains with Carter in early July.

Russ still had lots of work to do so we didn’t go any place more exciting than the lawyers and I took him home so he could continue his Zoom day. As I was dressed and clean I decided I would go over to Lowe’s and get a few things I needed to finish the wall.

This morning I started the second to the last course of blocks. In all my study I learned that I should adhere the last two courses with construction adhesive. I had bought two big tubes at the onset and today was my first day working with it. Once I figured out how to pierce the inner seal I was all set with the oversized caulking gun. I laid about half a course of 20 blocks and used a whole tube of adhesive. I calculated I needed two more tubes to finish the project.

I went into the Lowe’s, where I am now a regular, but I was more dressed up than the usual Lowe’s shopper and I had a fancy pocketbook with me. After grabbing a cart I headed directly to the adhesive aisle that I am very familiar with. Standing in front of the array of caulking tubes were two older African American men. I stood respectfully far enough away from them for social distancing and waited. After a little bit one of the men asked if I wanted to get something. I thanked him and said, “Yes, I know exactly what I need,” as they stepped back and I grabbed the tubes of Loctite.

The older of the two men said, “Young lady, ( I liked him for that immediately), Can I ask you what you are using that for?”

“I’m building a retaining wall,” I replied.

The younger man said, “Who is building that for you?”

I proudly announced to them, “I am building it.” I took my phone out of my purse and showed them a photo of the wall.

The older man looked at the photo and looked at the younger man and said, “You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”

He then turned to me and asked how I learned to do it. “YouTube.”

“Well that is quite impressive. You are doing a great job and buying the right adhesive.”

Turns out they build walls too, but this felt more like a bridge.