Handi-woman
So I was on the light rail this morning making my way into work. There I sat, prim and proper in my new suit jacket, sleek black pants, my ‘look-at-me-don’t-I-look-smart’ glasses, and jamming out to my portable CD player. Yes, a CD walkman. I may be able to get a new car but God forbid I come into the 21st century and buy an MP3 player. Anyway...
At the next stop a blind man with his human guide and seeing-eye dog got on and sat in the seat across the aisle from me. (I had to use all my might to not reach out and squeeze the dog’s jowls and talk baby talk to it.) The stop after that a woman got on and sat facing me in my little seating area. Next thing I know she starts ‘talking’ to me in sign language, but still speaking the words. Not hearing her the first time, I popped out my ear phone and said, “I’m sorry, what was that?” while smiling. She said, “OH” a little shocked, fumbled a second, and repeated without sign language, “your hair looks cute.” I smiled and said ‘thank you,’ popped my ear phone back in and made my way on to work.
It wasn’t until I got off later that I realized I was sitting in the handicapped seat and the woman thought that I, along with my blind friend next to me, were headed off to handicapped school together. Yeah, I’m a jackass.
And here I was thinking how lucky I was that nobody was sitting in that seat.
At the next stop a blind man with his human guide and seeing-eye dog got on and sat in the seat across the aisle from me. (I had to use all my might to not reach out and squeeze the dog’s jowls and talk baby talk to it.) The stop after that a woman got on and sat facing me in my little seating area. Next thing I know she starts ‘talking’ to me in sign language, but still speaking the words. Not hearing her the first time, I popped out my ear phone and said, “I’m sorry, what was that?” while smiling. She said, “OH” a little shocked, fumbled a second, and repeated without sign language, “your hair looks cute.” I smiled and said ‘thank you,’ popped my ear phone back in and made my way on to work.
It wasn’t until I got off later that I realized I was sitting in the handicapped seat and the woman thought that I, along with my blind friend next to me, were headed off to handicapped school together. Yeah, I’m a jackass.
And here I was thinking how lucky I was that nobody was sitting in that seat.
posted by Poof at 11:11 AM
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