Maybe. I talked to my childhood gf who now lives in Chicago. Moved to Chicago from Moscow in her early 20s. We have known each other since age 4. She has a big house, a CPA husband who earns a good living, three kids - most of the accoutrements of American success. I will visit her at the end of May - I bought my plane tickets yesterday. And we talk every night now. And she knows the story from me. And she says that she shops too... she has the means to and she does.

She also reminded me that my father (who was her father's close friend many years ago) has an unusually high speed of reaction. And talks fast. That was towards explaining my episode with starting to cross the street first among a crowd of people when the light turned green.