This will be my last week of research at this full-time volunteer capacity. One thing I will miss is the parking attendant. Her most common facial expression is a blank stare, eyes dull, absolutely no emotion evident, well....unless pure boredom counts. But then, once in a while, she's all full of surprises!! :)
Last November I got volunteer status at the hospital. A very long and confusing story in itself, but beside the point. With that volunteer status came free parking right by my building! Huge blessing as that was about the time winter showed up, but also beside the point.
For weeks I would hand my parking ticket over to the parking attendant and say, "I'm a volunteer." And for weeks her response was always, "Oh! you're a volunteer?" As time wore on I began to feel a little awkward at having to continually introduce myself, but her response never changed so I kept on introducing myself. Until one day, I got my first surprise! I drove up and she beat me to the punch line saying, "you're a volunteer right?" "Yes" I said. "Yes I am!"
I thought we'd had a break through, but the next day I drove up and was greeted with the usual deadpan expression, zero recognition in her face. I handed over my ticket, paused for acknowledgement, but when it didn't come, I offered up the I'm-a-volunteer line just in case. To my surprise, for the second day in a row she broke character to say, "Yea, I know you're a volunteer!"
But that was all I got. Just those two days.
No longer needing to establish the fact that 'I am a volunteer' I then changed my daily greeting to the tried and true, "Hi! How are you?" Or its commonly accepted variations. And in response I got nothing. Perhaps a blank stare on a good day in which she was deeming me worthy of eye contact. But verbal exchange. Nada.
And so it went on for weeks. My attempts at congeniality denied each evening as I left. I'll be honest. I debated the possible futility of trying to attempt a conversation.
And then it happened again. Without warning, and seemingly without reason she actually responded. Straight out asked me what I did at the hospital all day, every day. My foot just about slipped off the brake out of shock at her random and complete change of character. I answered her question and she raised the bar signaling the end of our impromtu conversation.
And then once again, that was all I got. Just one day. And it was back to blank-stare, no-emotion.
A few weeks passed, and then one day I drove up and handed over my ticket saying "Hey! How's it goin?" Her response..."How old are you?" Once again my foot about slipped off the brake pedal. I have since then always put my car in park upon pulling up beside the parking booth. But this time, the conversation didn't just stop there. At my response of "28", she expressed surprise thinking that I had been in my 30s.
And there you have it. After months, we'd finally had a conversation lasting longer than two lines. At her superbly abrupt and spontaneous approach I couldn't even be upset she thought I was in my 30s. It had me laughing until well on my way home. I still laugh, remembering it.
The time in between her surprises shortened each time, to the point where I would venture to say they might have even been often this past month. Each evening I approach the parking booth with anticipation wondering if I'll be surprised today!
It's my last week, and so far I'm 1 for 1. :)
Much Love.
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