Rule #13: Always carry I.D.

Recently, while walking to the street to fetch our garbage can, I saw two men in uniform approaching the house. At first I thought they were postmen, but I couldn't figure out why there were two of them. Regardless, I stared intently at my garbage can hoping to avoid an awkward conversation. As I got to it though one of them spoke up asking how I was. I responded with the usual 'good,' further wondering why the postmen were initiating conversation. Then he asked, "Hey, are your parents home?" I sighed to myself, and I was this close to keeping it simple by saying my parents weren't home (which was technically true as they have their own house now that I think about it) figuring that would make them not want to sell me something. But instead I told them, "Actually, this is my house." Very startled but quick on the uptake he said "Oh, so you're the 15 year old man then?" "Yeah... yeah that's me." Anyway, then they got down to business and tried to sell me some Schwan dinners.

On my way back to the house I recalled running an errand for my sick wife and wondered if they carded everyone else who bought cold medicine, or just us punk teenagers.