12.19.25: Universal Grocery Store Panic

There's a specific terror that hits when you're at the checkout and your card declines. Doesn't matter if you have money in six other accounts. In that moment, surrounded by strangers and beeping scanners, you become convinced you're secretly broke and have been living a lie. You try the card again, buying time while mentally calculating which items you'll abandon. Then it goes through. You grab your bags and leave quickly, avoiding eye contact with everyone who witnessed your three seconds of financial doubt.