Dollar Message: You’re at your favorite department store buying a birthday present for a friend. As the cashier gives you change, you notice a message with specific instructions scribbled on one of the bills. What do the instructions say? Do you carry them out and, if so, how?
I didn’t get it at first.
The cashier deliberately handed me back a folded five when I was at the department store. I watched her take the five out of the cash register, fold it in half, and hand it to me with my receipt.
“Here’s your change.”
I cocked an eyebrow at her — for fuck’s sake, I paid with credit card — and tentatively took the five with my receipt.
With my friend’s present in one hand, I pulled out my wallet. I slipped my credit card in one slot and proceeded to unfold the five to place it in another. But two words written in chicken scratch with permanent marker caught my eye. I held the five dollar bill with two hands and read what the chicken scratch wrote. After a few tries, I realized what the scribbles were trying to say:
“Specific Instructions”
I sighed and rolled my eyes.
“What is this? A sophomoric stab at a writing prompt?” I grumbled. Thankful at least for the free five dollars, I returned my wallet to my bag and left the store.
That (Not This) Abby Rose 