There, but for the grace of God, go I
She was shopping when I first entered the variety store, wending her way through the aisles and racks. I couldn't see her when I first came in for her small frame did not allow me to see her above the display of Halloween candy, but I could certainly hear her.
She seemed to be carrying a conversation with someone, both voices seemed to be speaking to each other in low tones so the topic was inaudible. She peeked around the island of Spongebob Squarepants candy canes as I strolled by with my cart and smiled. Her cheeks were tinted with blush carefully placed on them in precise circles and her lips were a matching hue of red. Great hooped earrings peeked out of the freshly primped hairdo that hung past her shoulders and on top her head sat a cap that looked like one that a rap band had given her and she even wore it with the bill turned 3/4 of the way around. Her smile was one of pleasure, but she seemed to be missing more than just a few teeth and the ones she did have seemed to be in various stages of decay. She seemed to me to be a present-day 'Dirty Sally'. (For those who used to watch the series "Gunsmoke" you will understand my term.)
I could not help myself, I would not help myself even if I could have; I smiled back.
"Yep, they've sure got some neat stuff in this store. Lookie here, even got spongebob Squarepants candycanes." She said and then gave a little giggle/cackle. I acknowledged her comment and said that I thought they had neat stuff too.
She seemed to distract me all the way through the store even if I were at the back and she at the front. Her cart heaping with everything from jackets to clocks and cans of gensing tea. I proceeded to search out the few things I had come in for, some cat food, a few cleaners, something for the football boys at school...all the while, I was thinking about this lady.
She seemed to me to be about my age and she must have had a myriad of mental disorders. My heart leapt out to her because I could see the look on the clerk's face as she started to unload her cart. "She is someone's daughter," my heart said, "Someone has had a million hopes that her life would be grand." From the back of the store I peeked toward the front. She was still unloading things.
There was only one line open when I got to the front of the store. She was still in the process of checking out and there were 3 other people in line before me. The all stood nearly 15 feet from this woman as if she had something highly contagious. Soon, the next check out stand was opened up because the line was backing up in hers. Everyone left her line but me. There was country music playing in the background and she nodded her head deeply as it played and made faces to the emotions of the song.
I patiently smiled as the clerk rang up her things. The bill was 182.00 and she'd only brought 150.00 with her. I could see the process was becoming common place with her and the clerks. The clerk on duty got her supervisor to come and tell her that she'd over spent and that she needed to put some things back. Slowly, she went through her cart, finding things she thought she could do without. A pack of 10 colors of nail polish, a few cans of tea, a dog bone...the list continued.
When she'd gotten her purchases down to under 150.00 she thanked the clerk who never smiled or said anything to her at all and went out the door with her cherished purchases.
I continued to smile even though the people behind the counter were not happy, and placed my things upon the counter.
"Well, that was excruciating!" the Supervisor said with a peeved look on her face.
I said, "That's ok, I don't mind that much...I kind of feel sorry for her." I said.
"Well you might, but she does this about 3 times a week!" the lady behind the counter announced. "It wouldn't be so bad if she would just put back the things she didn't need and keep the things she did. Last week she put back the soap and deodorant just so she could keep the lacy panties! Like she's ever going to NEED lacy panties!" She exclaimed in exhasperation.
I cringed inwardly. I could see that she was just like the rest of the world and that this tiny woman that carried on two conversations at once and painted her face like it were a coloring book simply did not fit the mold. She continued to tell me how this woman had applied for a job and had told her after filling out the form, "Of course, you know I'm not very good with numbers." at which the supervisor had informed her, "Well, yah...I noticed!"
Being very aware that this woman was suffering from some sort of mental disorder I proceeded to tell th supervisor about my friend Matt who has Down Syndrome and how if you give him two pennies he thinks he has two thousand dollars.
She seemed to soften a bit realizing too that this woman could not help what she was.
I left the store with my few purchases and a tear in my eye all the while looking for the little lady to see which way she'd went. There was no sign of her.
My thought as I left was to pray for her and hope that people would come to realize that she is what she is and to accept her differeces instead of shunning her because of it and knowing all the while, it could be me that had this condition and she could be living a life that better fit the mold.
I told my mother about the incident and she too felt for this woman. Mom's term is the one I use today, "There, but for the grace of God, go I."
Quote attributed to John Bradford
She seemed to be carrying a conversation with someone, both voices seemed to be speaking to each other in low tones so the topic was inaudible. She peeked around the island of Spongebob Squarepants candy canes as I strolled by with my cart and smiled. Her cheeks were tinted with blush carefully placed on them in precise circles and her lips were a matching hue of red. Great hooped earrings peeked out of the freshly primped hairdo that hung past her shoulders and on top her head sat a cap that looked like one that a rap band had given her and she even wore it with the bill turned 3/4 of the way around. Her smile was one of pleasure, but she seemed to be missing more than just a few teeth and the ones she did have seemed to be in various stages of decay. She seemed to me to be a present-day 'Dirty Sally'. (For those who used to watch the series "Gunsmoke" you will understand my term.)
I could not help myself, I would not help myself even if I could have; I smiled back.
"Yep, they've sure got some neat stuff in this store. Lookie here, even got spongebob Squarepants candycanes." She said and then gave a little giggle/cackle. I acknowledged her comment and said that I thought they had neat stuff too.
She seemed to distract me all the way through the store even if I were at the back and she at the front. Her cart heaping with everything from jackets to clocks and cans of gensing tea. I proceeded to search out the few things I had come in for, some cat food, a few cleaners, something for the football boys at school...all the while, I was thinking about this lady.
She seemed to me to be about my age and she must have had a myriad of mental disorders. My heart leapt out to her because I could see the look on the clerk's face as she started to unload her cart. "She is someone's daughter," my heart said, "Someone has had a million hopes that her life would be grand." From the back of the store I peeked toward the front. She was still unloading things.
There was only one line open when I got to the front of the store. She was still in the process of checking out and there were 3 other people in line before me. The all stood nearly 15 feet from this woman as if she had something highly contagious. Soon, the next check out stand was opened up because the line was backing up in hers. Everyone left her line but me. There was country music playing in the background and she nodded her head deeply as it played and made faces to the emotions of the song.
I patiently smiled as the clerk rang up her things. The bill was 182.00 and she'd only brought 150.00 with her. I could see the process was becoming common place with her and the clerks. The clerk on duty got her supervisor to come and tell her that she'd over spent and that she needed to put some things back. Slowly, she went through her cart, finding things she thought she could do without. A pack of 10 colors of nail polish, a few cans of tea, a dog bone...the list continued.
When she'd gotten her purchases down to under 150.00 she thanked the clerk who never smiled or said anything to her at all and went out the door with her cherished purchases.
I continued to smile even though the people behind the counter were not happy, and placed my things upon the counter.
"Well, that was excruciating!" the Supervisor said with a peeved look on her face.
I said, "That's ok, I don't mind that much...I kind of feel sorry for her." I said.
"Well you might, but she does this about 3 times a week!" the lady behind the counter announced. "It wouldn't be so bad if she would just put back the things she didn't need and keep the things she did. Last week she put back the soap and deodorant just so she could keep the lacy panties! Like she's ever going to NEED lacy panties!" She exclaimed in exhasperation.
I cringed inwardly. I could see that she was just like the rest of the world and that this tiny woman that carried on two conversations at once and painted her face like it were a coloring book simply did not fit the mold. She continued to tell me how this woman had applied for a job and had told her after filling out the form, "Of course, you know I'm not very good with numbers." at which the supervisor had informed her, "Well, yah...I noticed!"
Being very aware that this woman was suffering from some sort of mental disorder I proceeded to tell th supervisor about my friend Matt who has Down Syndrome and how if you give him two pennies he thinks he has two thousand dollars.
She seemed to soften a bit realizing too that this woman could not help what she was.
I left the store with my few purchases and a tear in my eye all the while looking for the little lady to see which way she'd went. There was no sign of her.
My thought as I left was to pray for her and hope that people would come to realize that she is what she is and to accept her differeces instead of shunning her because of it and knowing all the while, it could be me that had this condition and she could be living a life that better fit the mold.
I told my mother about the incident and she too felt for this woman. Mom's term is the one I use today, "There, but for the grace of God, go I."
Quote attributed to John Bradford
posted by Desert Dreamer @ 11:59 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
:-) Amen and AMEN!
This story shows that you have the love of the Lord. Unfortunately many people don't.
When I see someone like you described, I am reminded that it could be me, or one of my own children, and my mothers heart feels love for them.
Mountain Mama, you've hit the nail on the head with me! I just don't seem to be able to not have that mothering instinct. I believe that God has given me that gift because the world needs more compassion. I just wish that I could be better at it myself. I'm not able to work at places like nursing homes because I become so extremely sympathetic all I do is cry. So I believe that He wants me to simply pray for these people. Perhaps someday I will find my place.
As I was coming home from work a couple of days ago, there was a woman ahead of me on the sidewalk, possibly homeless, perhaps unbalanced, and talking very loudly to herself. As I got closer, I could hear what she was saying. It was, "Ave Maria, Ave Maria, Ave Maria." My thoughts had been preoccupied with problems at the office, and so I wondered then, which one of us is really unbalanced?
Exactly my point! Just because the world percieves a person to not be in their 'natural state' does not mean that they are apart from God. And just what is this natural state? I think the world sees it as those that run with their flock, so to speak.
I guess I'm not in my 'natural state' either to the world, at least at the times I'm closest to God.
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