She was over-the-top friendly. Her eye hugs made you feel you were in the presence of a forever friend. As she rang up my purchase at the checkout counter of the well-known department store, she commented on my cowboy boots. “You’re either from Texas or you got a heap of cowboy in your blood,” she teased as she bagged my purchases. Then she added, “I put a discount coupon in your bag for lemonade. You know you are gonna need extra lemonade for picnics pretty soon!”

As I thanked her for her del...