Sounds like the beginning of a great joke, right? Oh the possibilities! But it's no joke, folks....tonight at the restaurant/bar where I work, a deaf man and a blind woman came in for dinner. Keep this thought in mind as I say that I was in that "waa- waa- feeling sorry for myself "mood. I'm driving to my second job,and I'm pissed off at every dumbass driver that crossed my path. I am stressing over the beginning stages of musical planning....the business part of "show" business which I really don't like..I am also stressing over being in the midst of putting up a show which I "adopted" when their director quit....Plus..I am in a total "what the hell do I want to do if and when I grow up" phase.
Shut. Up. right?
So it's hot and it's humid, my hair looks like Linc from the Mod Squad and my mind is going in a hundred different directions and my first table is this deaf man and blind woman. GREAT! Within seconds ... I immediately start feeling like a real jackhole for even complaining about my perfect life. This couple sat there, holding hands... holding hands because that is how they communicate with each other. She would sign into his hand as he read the menu and signed back to her. He would look at me then and speak his order the best he could. I'm sure he was thinking why is this goofy woman smiling so much? (I suppose I smile a lot in awkward situations)...but it was better than trying to be all Annie Sullivan at them and try to"over" help. They were doing just fine on their own. They ordered their dinners and drank their sodas "with not a lot of ice" . They were fascinating to watch and absolutely adorable.
I wonder if they know the impact they had on me. It was like getting hit in the head with a cast iron frying pan a la Wile E. Coyote on the Road Runner cartoons. How dare I complain about the "stuff" I have to deal with. I think of the people I encounter during the day...co-workers, family, friends, random humans...there is a whole lot of bitching out there folks and I'm not so sure how much of it is justified. We all have "one of those days" ...I was having one myself. We are all allowed to have them ...once in a while. Some people, though, are really pushing it ...in my opinion. Now I am all about that "walking in their shoes"shit and you really don't know people until then...but COME ON!!! I see an awful lot of " boo hoo..there was a long line at the bank as I was cashing my $1000 check" kind of whining. I wish those people (and again- you know who you are) could have witnessed the deaf man and blind woman having dinner.
I wish more people had the LIVE LAUGH LOVE attitude that I try to have...and I think I do tons of reality checks when I start getting whiny. People need to do that more. And now here's a little story..
When I had my last child ...there were ....complications....not with her, thank God...with me. I won't go into it...that's a whole other blog topic. But I almost didn't make it. There were surgeries and heart issues and thoughts of being the main character in the Lifetime movie of the woman who went to have her third child and didn't come out alive....scary stuff kids...but it's been 22 years and for the most part have adopted the live your life lifestyle. You just never know ....
I have been accused, many ,many times of not taking things seriously., "you know, not everything is funny," I've been told... Well the truth is...not everything is funny...mostly it's hysterical ...you just have to be able to look at life a little differently. Sure there are serious, scary things...I 've been through a bunch of them...but when things are not that bad....don't make them worse. Try to be positive...have faith and don't be afraid to laugh and enjoy the ride.
Back to the deaf man and the blind woman...they ate every bit of their dinner....paid their bill, left me a great tip and they were on their way. The bartender and I wondered how they manage. What do they do when they get home. How do they run errands, pay bills and just do every day tasks ?Everything seemed like it was such a struggle....probably not to them, though..they were just out for dinner on a lovely, warm May evening. I honestly can not get them out of my mind..but I forgot to mention that when I gave them their drinks, they sat there for a minute. As I walked away.. out of the corner of my eye I saw them clink glasses together...."cheers".
Now I don't like to cry in public....I am a very emotional person but I do NOT like people to see me cry....only a few chosen have...but man...turn on the water works when I saw the deaf man and the blind woman toast each other over their diet pepsi's....it was truly one of the coolest thing I ever saw. I'm not going to say it changed my life but it surely gave me a kick in the big ass attitude adjustment.... So maybe I didn't get that interview and ONE of our cars may need work on the transmission...and my kitchen counter didn't come in ..but just I saw and I heard two of the coolest people ever who made me open my eyes and ears on this lovely, warm May evening ...."cheers'.....just saying
No comments:
Post a Comment