How Embarrassing …
I’m walking around waiting for a new set of glasses frames to be set. That is, they need to resize the lenses. The man did me a favor and pushed my set to the front of the line so that the initial 2 hours without a pair of eyeglasses was shrunk down to just one. One hour. No glasses. I’ve got to find somewhere I can relax. I notice the big letters KFC close to the location I need to be in when the glasses are ready for me to pick them up without a moment wasted. I walk into the KFC. I make my order. And then I wait. I pick the table I want to be at. Somewhere out of the way off to the side I can relax without people wanting to engage me and me being able to read my book in peace. I sit down at the table and I can feel the chair against my behind. I don’t mean I feel it against my behind like it’s a normal everyday seat. I mean I feel the chair against my skin. Oh no, I think. This is embarrassing. I have a massive hole in my pants. How much of that did they see? If I reach down … yep. I can feel everything. This is not good. It’s possible my genitalia has been in plain view for those with eyes to see. Oh, what do I do? How long has it been like this? It must have happened when I tripped off that curb earlier. Okay, think David. Let’s get us out of this situation. I walk to get my food from the KFC counter when they call out my order and in doing so, I check my pants on the way. Yep. Huge hole. I’m eating and thinking, eating and thinking. There’s no way no one saw that but there not being anyone that didn’t say anything is what surprised me. Perhaps they don’t want to feel the embarrassment they imagine I’ll feel by osmosis so they’d rather keep their mouth shut and sit in their quiet knowing. Now, there’s a giant window next to me. I look outside and see clothing options. I can get something and wrap it around my waist. Women’s only, women’s only, women’s only. No men options. This might not go well. The door out that way is closed. I go from the other side and have to go all the way around but eventually, I’m back at the clothing area. My food is waiting for me back at KFC but if I’m quick, no one will notice I went anywhere. I’m lucky. There’s a man’s kiosk with clothing I’ve never worn before. Items I’ve never tried on. Never a better time than when you absolutely have to. I purchase a pair of stretchy pants that are vastly different than my usual attire. They are worn over the ripped pants. No changing out, just wearing over. Thank the gods. Crisis averted. I return to my food to find a little girl no more than 7 years old getting closer to my food. I still don’t have my glasses back yet, but as she gets closer, she sits down and gets back up. I think she’s making sure no one is coming back for it. I smile and walk away. She’s welcome to the food and even though I couldn’t see here, she can have every bite. I go somewhere else, more quiet and comfortable for me to also not be seen by anybody and I read a good book, awaiting the return of my glasses. With that newfound sight, perhaps I can enjoy seeing this beautiful life over again in new and exciting ways. One can only hope.
