Robin and I visited the cinema on Saturday night, nothing unusual in that as it is something we do regularly. Normally it is a pleasant experience but this time things didn’t quite go according to plan. I decided to try something I hadn’t done for years – the “Pick n’ Mix”! We usually avoid it because of the price, but on this occasion, I wanted the white chocolate jazzies so badly I was prepared to pay.
What I wasn’t expecting was to lose all dignity just because of the elusive white chocolate discs covered in alluring multicoloured sugar beads.
Meanwhile, back at the cinema and my search for an impending sugar rush. Approaching the display made me realise that things were not going to be as smooth sailing as I remembered. For a start, I couldn’t get close enough to reach the serving tongs, this should have been my first clue that this visit was doomed! With tongs in one hand, a paper cup in the other, all I needed now was my third hand to open the lid of the sweets so I could scoop them into my container. Oh, but I also need a fourth hand to operate the control on my wheelchair to try and get alongside the display with a hope of obtaining my sweets. Picture the scene, with the cup and tongs in one hand, I try and manoeuvre in to position so I can access the sweet bins. After completing a 64-thousand-point turn, I am in position and ready for the next juggling act, cup, tongs, lid and then sweets. Then I felt it, the unmistakable feeling that if I carried on, I would very quickly tip myself out of my chair and headfirst into the display! I had reached the metaphorical as well as literal tipping point, the jazzies were in a bin too low. That was it, the sweets had defeated me, now I needed to ask for help. I had to face the shame and judgement of another person picking my choice of sweets, the quantities and how they had to stack the cup for maximum capacity. Remember the salad bowls from Pizza Hut? If you balanced the cucumber slices correctly round the edge you could increase the amount of salad contained in the bowl considerably, I like to apply that same principle to the pick n’ mix cups.
So, where is Robin in all this I hear you ask? Robin was doing his own juggling act in getting our drinks together, a coffee for me and a cold drink for himself. Now we are facing each other with both of our hands full yet we needed to exchange items. Tempted as I was just to throw my tongs and cup in the air and then take hold of the drinks leaving Robin to catch the flying items, I remembered how useless I am at throwing things, so sensibilities overruled my impulses.
Under my strict instructions, the sweet selection was made, and we could make our way to our seats. Again, I am reminded that I really need a cup holder for my chair as juggling a hot coffee, a cup almost overflowing with sweets, a joystick controlled powered wheelchair while trying to negotiate doorways is always fun.
To help me prepare this post I turned to Chat GTP with a few prompts to see what it came up with. (I now feel that I have found a new hobby in tormenting it with my requests, but I think that may be the subject of another post.) I asked it to imagine it had never seen a pick and mix selection before and to describe what it saw, my conclusion is that Chat GPT is a neurotypical, able-bodied person who has lived a very sheltered life, probably in his mother’s basement.
“Entering the cinema, I’m greeted by a visually captivating display that immediately catches my attention – the Pick & Mix section. The vibrant, organized arrangement of various candies spans the spectrum of colours and shapes, creating a candy wonderland. Picture clear, transparent bins neatly aligned, each housing a different type of sweet temptation. Gummy bears, jellybeans, liquorice twists, and an array of chocolates are presented in abundance. The colours range from the vibrant hues of fruit-flavoured candies to the deep browns and golds of chocolate delights. The aromas are a delightful medley of sugary sweetness, creating an atmosphere that heightens the anticipation of a unique treat. There’s a sense of freedom and choice as customers are armed with scoops and paper bags, ready to create their own personalised candy concoctions.”
If it is of any interest to you, we went to see “The Holdovers”, fabulous film and one that we will watch again. The sweets by the way were fabulous, a riot of sweet, sour, fizzy, chewy and the snow white chocolate jazzies were the pièce de resistance!
