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The grocery store was loud and impatient that evening, the kind of place where everyone seemed to be rushing past one another. I was waiting in line when I noticed an elderly man at the checkout ahead of me. He moved slowly, carefully placing a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a small carton of milk onto the belt.
When his card was declined, the sound felt too sharp for such a quiet moment. He tried again, then softly suggested putting items back, his shoulders folding inward as if he wanted to disappear. The people behind him sighed, someone muttered something unkind, and I felt that familiar ache—the one that comes from watching dignity slip away in public.
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