A true story from my recent travels in the US…

She stood behind the jewellery counter, her aged skin caked in powder and her treated hair shiny in the harsh store light. The mall was otherwise deserted. It was a freezing day in Chicago and I was coaching. My client and I stood politely as the clerk engaged us (uninvited) in that kind of random, ‘here’s my story’ conversation that’s so common in the US, but rarely indulged in across the pond.

‘Now, you see,’ she intoned, and as if snatched by the ears we turned to listen. ‘Don’t make the same mistake I did: married over thirty years to the wrong man! Well I finally got round to divorcing him and let me tell you I feel so much better, I look so much better and I’m ready to go! Best decision I ever made!’

We both nodded politely. Despite the need to press on, we lingered. She paused, glanced around and, voice lowering, leaned forward.

‘Man came in here and bought four thousand dollars worth of jewellery for his girlfriend.’

We winced at the sum. The clerk rolled on.

‘I sold it to him. Next day he comes back in here, eyes all red and returned every last bit of it. Tells me when he got home to give his girlfriend all that jewellery…he found her in bed with another man!’

She leaned back, arms folded triumphantly and powdered cheeks puckered at the lemony gossip.

‘Ouch…’

She nodded. ‘In the end, we sold him something nice for his mother.’

Moral of the story?