When I first met my friend AM in early high school, she was a bit of a troublemaker, a bit of a delinquent, a bit of a teen junkie too. She got into all sorts of trouble.

Of course, later in life, she got back on track and got her life sorted, and today has a good job, a good relationship, and many kids.

Back then, I was the only friend her mother allowed to visit because she felt I was a good influence. But while I influenced AM to straighten out her life, she influenced me to dare to do things I would otherwise never have done.

AM had a tendency to shoplift from the dollar store at the shopping centre. She had taken multiple chocolate bars, and she and I, along with her sister and their friend, decided that it was time I tried my hand at stealing something, and not just anything.

I was dared to steal a box of condoms.

So we sauntered in casually, went along the aisles, scoped out the place, or as much scoping as a bunch of fifteen-year-olds could do. Or was I 14?

Anyway, we went for the condoms and I just took the small box and very clumsily tried to hide it in my sleeve. Since that was failing, AM took it upon herself to carry the box out of the store, but by then, the storekeeper had seen us and was suspicious.

‘Hey!’ he called out.

We bolted out of there as he ran after us, and almost grabbed two of us, and we ran towards the shopping centre exit and right past the security guard who told us not to run. Then the storekeeper yelled at the security guard that we stole from him.

The security guard started after us.

Continue reading It Was All For Nought! on Medium with this Friend Link

Gain access to all my content on Medium by becoming a member through my referral link.

I was working a clerk at a video rental store (back before streaming services existed). I’d been there a number of months and the policy was, if you forget your member’s card, we can enter your account with your phone number but you have to show your I.D.

There was a regular customer who came every week to rent movies for himself and his wife or for his kids. Sometimes he’d come twice a week. I was working full time so I saw him a lot.

This one time, he forgets his member’s card. So I enter his account with his phone number, as per. Reflexively, I say:

‘Do you have your I.D. with you?’

He just repeats his name.

Then, ‘Right, sorry, reflex. You come here often enough, it’s all good.’

And then, in the most insulted manner, he replies,

‘Uh, right. Sorry.’

I finish his transaction and the actor leaves in a huff.

My colleague turns to me and goes, ‘Do you really not know who that is?’

‘Uh, nope.’

‘That guy’s one of the biggest names in Quebec right now.’

‘Oh, woops.’

And lo and behold, he was a starring or supporting actor in a lot of Québécois movies that we had at the video store. 😬

Continue reading I Didn’t Recognise Him, So He Complained To The News on Medium with this Friend Link

Gain access to all my content on Medium by becoming a member through my referral link.