It's the Little Things

#4 - Ta!

There was a period of approximately two months when I believed that my Partner-in-Crime was pulling my leg. He would say to me, "One of these days, an Australian is going to thank you by saying 'ta.'"

No one had said "ta" to me, so I started to believe he was making it up. It became a running joke where he would say, "they are going to tell you ta." And, I would tell him that I would not believe his stories.

We're hilarious like that.

Then one day we were in the grocery store. I was in a cranky mood because it was crowded, and bread cost $6, and I could not find any avocados. I found myself in the way of a nice mother with a cart, so I stepped out of her way, and she muttered, "ta."

It wasn't quite like seeing a unicorn, but I truly was amazed. And, like encountering a mythical creature, I had to puzzle for a few moments to decide if I'd really heard what I thought I'd heard. Needless to say, I snapped out of my cranky mood right away.

I found Partner-in-Crime in the pre-made dip section, puzzling over the merits of eggplant vs. capsicum dips. So as not to disturb the natural surrounds, I whispered in his ear, "that woman said 'ta' to me!"

He just smiled and gave a knowing nod, like the archaeologist who has been studying the unicorn all along. "Really?" (He said "really" because he is much too nice to say, "I told you so.")

From there, of course, everywhere I turned was "ta" this and "ta" that. The people around me were suddenly incredibly grateful.

Once you see your first unicorn, there's no going back.