Life Imperfect

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are pages and parts of pages, from someone's "Life Book".

I was on a Business trip, those words sound so important, like I was a partner in a Law Firm, or an Editor of a magazine. Neither of those, nor anything like that, was my business trip. I was on a "training trip" paid for by my employer, to further my knowledge. I stayed at a hotel in Washington, where I knew no one. I ate by myself, and went to sleep early. A shuttle took others and me to different destinations each a.m. and returned us in the p.m. I wore no business suit. I am a Grandmother, with low heel shoes. The first day I was to catch the shuttle, there was one other lone shuttle waiter. He was an Asian Gentleman, in a nice suit, with the humble demeanor many display. I nicknamed him Mr. Woo. He waited anxiously by the busy street, cars, and busses whizzing by at rapid speed. I waited close to the building. What if one of those fast moving vehicles lost control and came up on the sidewalk? Ran over both of us? It might be days before my family learned that I had been mowed down by a BMW, which jumped the sidewalk and left tire tracks on Mr. Woos' small frame and my sensible shoes. My Husband was not speaking to me when I had left home. I certainly did not expect him to call me. The shuttle was late. Mr. Woo was clearly anxious; I wasn't so calm myself by now. Being in a strange city, not knowing exactly where I was, much less where I needed to go. At the mercy, of strangers. I left the security of distance, and walked down to Mr. Woo. We spoke about our concern about the tardiness of the shuttle. It was the first time I had heard him speak, or he, I. I quickly realized Mr. Woo did not have 100% command of the English language, which was just as well, since neither did I, (being born in the South, Shut up! Yankee, you talk funny too!). He asked me did I want to share a taxi to our almost common destination, I said yes. Then I asked, "How do we get a taxi? ask the desk clerk to call?". He smiled and said "No. we do this". And he made the flagging hand motion, straight out of a New York movie of waving a cab down. Well! This astonished me! I had only seen it done in the movies! I thought to myself "Mr. Woo, if you got the belief that you can suddenly stop one of these 50 mph maniacs, then I am with you (ER, behind you). Well, he "hailed" a cab, all right. Damnedest thing I had ever seen. We hopped in. When we got to Mr. Woos stop, the driver said "$ 5.25", Mr. Woos' allowed his vulnerability as he slowly pulled one five and two ones out of his neat wallet. He looked to me for guidance (money exchange and all). I should have forewarned him that I seen to have always been Ms. Give-A-Way Queen, he wanted to give only the five and the one. He held all three bills up for my judgement (God, what a mistake!). I took all three and said "plus tip", and handed them to the driver. For those who might scorn such action, I gave the same three bills for my stop, a block away. What is a tip of $1.75 now-days? It is nothing to some, much to many, you choose.

The next morning I once again saw Mr. Woo in the Continental Breakfast room of the hotel (closet room with tables where everyone tries to silently crunch their cereal) Where is the music to mask such mundane human practices. It was so obvious those few there were uncomfortable. Asses to elbows (as my Mama would have said). But, that "Was" the designated breakfast spot, so they would suffer through it, good breeding and all. There was a couple I had met the day before. It was obvious the Husband was ill, the wife was the picture perfect hairdo, pretty Lady. They said Good Morning as I walked in. They had asked me the day before about "Good" places to eat within walking distance. I suggested to them "The Diner", around the corner, been in business since 194?. They perked up and asked "Good Food?". I had to be somewhat honest, and answered " Not necessarily, but it sure is interesting". And that was not a lie. The Diner had only one form or another of fried foods, instant potatoes (ugh!). But the "Diner" sure had some interesting old painting depicting the "Diner" over the years, it was a box car type of construction with 40 years of cigarette and grill smoke embedded into the wood walls. And if anyone ever wanted to take a glimpse of yester-year and, then "Step Right Up", and see, hear the Waitresses and the Cook who live barely at todays wages. Meager pickings, for folks trying to earn a living. They live in another World, than I. I am most fortunate, Coach Class, considered. The nice couple said they had tried the Diner, and it was interesting! Were they simply being nice to a dowdy Grandmother? Maybe they hated it! Who shall ever know except them? I can only hope it was a momentous distraction, from their human dilemma. As we spoke, I gathered my breakfast of noisy cereal, and used the prongs to jiggle half a bagels, Why take a whole Bagel when I can only eat a half? And I escape the "asses to elbows" breakfast closet to go outside where there is a perfectly nice garden complete with chairs and table. I eat my breakfast of noisy cereal, and I burp, and there is no one to hear me. I am alone, except for the artificial babbling brook and real trees and flowers. They are still boxed up in that closet of a breakfast coop, trying to muffle the Crack, Snapple and pop, in a room, in which they are held hostage. I am so Happy, I now step out of the box (age helps, ya know)

-- My Story (andi@mstickingtoit.com), May 26, 2000

Answers

Can you say S T R A N G E? Who's story is it if it isn't your own? HMMMMM? Oh geeze, I forgot, hallucinogenics still are available.

-- Aunt Bee (SheriffAndy@Mayberry.com), May 27, 2000.

Aunt Bee, I, I witnessed it, first hand. Why do you seek to discredit the kindness I have seen one human give one another? I can only surmise the following: 1. the continuance of this forum lends for some monetary gain in someones pocket. Thus, when the forum starts to play out, someones pockets start to empty. But however,if some Rogue shows up, to tell the truth, then you jump all over them to try and revive the forum. Must be $ in someones pockets. Aunt Bee, you aren't a very nice person.

-- My Story (andi@mstickingtoit.com), May 27, 2000.

UH excuse me, however, I don't see anything that has to do with bucks and the continuance of this forum. Babble has no meaning for me. Mean? Perhaps, or logical? I leave it to the forumites to decide. Your post was just too rambling and mindless for me- Sorry if you were insulted. Just my personal opinion. And so it goes...

-- Aunt Bee (SheriffAndy@Mayberry.com), May 27, 2000.

"my story"

you are right. you owe me 10 bucks for posting. make it in small bills

-- chewing gum (andi@mstickingtoit.com), May 27, 2000.


How Sad it is, those writing above me, would discredit. Do you think this forum is the only forum? You may Try to stop the Jesus Forum on your local street, but you cannot stop Jesus. Sorry to say, I am not a street hanger Jesus Horn Blower asking Christian. What is a Christian? We Fall down, and we get up, we fall down and we get up. A Saint is just a Sinner. Tell this message to all the languagues of the world. The World will be redemmed only when all languages have heard the word. My Father, this skin existence is too hard for me to bare. Lift me up. Amen.

-- My Story (andi@mstickingtoit.com), May 27, 2000.


Al-D knows how to spell! I knew it was all an act!

-- (brainwashed@by.jesus), May 27, 2000.

Sorry Brain-less, the depth is beyond your scope here., Amen

-- My Story (andi@mstickingtoit.com), May 27, 2000.

Yep, that's him! Notice the commas. At least he quit using caps, thank God!

-- (lobotimized@by.jesus), May 27, 2000.

Lose the dress al, you'll never pass yourself off as a granny!!

-- Porky (Pokry@in.cellblockD), May 27, 2000.

Evolution in progress. I go offline for a few weeks, come back, and find some former posters have either sobered up (somewhat) or done some grammar review. Well done!

-- (Bigmouth@work.now), May 27, 2000.


Could it be part of a day for someone in a senior home?

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), May 27, 2000.

That's actually an excellent thought Cherri. Good call.

-- Bingo1 (howe9@shentel.net), May 27, 2000.

Cherri and Bingo, did I miss something? It says that this lady was on a business trip. To me it sounds sort of like the journal that the main character was keeping in the movie "The Accidental Tourist".

-- Hawk (flyin@hi.again), May 27, 2000.

It reads as a reminisce to me Hawk. Someone looking back at events.

-- Bingo1 (howe9@shentel.net), May 27, 2000.

Bingo1 -- now be nice (we say that a lot in Minnesota). Hawk may be more than a little impolite at times (and perhaps even a little weird), but he's never been incoherent-- which whoever posted this original thread certainly is.

-- E.H. Porter (Just Wondering@About.it), May 27, 2000.


Sorry if it came across as impolite, but I was asking a real question. I suppose it could be a reminiscing of anyone's life, but I just didn't see how they concluded it would be someone in a retirement home. ???

-- Hawk (flyin@hi.again), May 27, 2000.

This is too weird!

E.H receives a foreshadowing of an attack of Hawk by me.

Hawk then apologizes for no good reason I can possibly imagine.

Jeez Hawk, of all your posts, to choose this one to apologize for? How could that post be construed as offensive?

I got the theme music to the Twilight Zone playin' in my head people!

-- Bingo1 (howe9@shentel.net), May 27, 2000.


Interesting story, quite decent writing My. My wife is a writer as well, literary stuff, and this little piece is really decent writing compared to 90% of what I read in her literary magazines.

This is a tough forum for pieces like this, most here are more on the tune of "self help" books, lol.

-- FactFinder (FactFinder@bzn.com), May 27, 2000.


I liked it. Good writing, nice flavor.

"At the mercy of strangers, I left the security of distance..." "... and left tire tracks on Mr. Woo's small frame and my sensible shoes.."

Could be used to frost a plot, some day.

-- Normally (Oxsys@aol.com), May 27, 2000.


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