I was nervous talking to a married lady the other day....
Needed to renew my drivers license and truck registration.
Talking was not the potential problem , failing vision leaving me farsighted was.
And the Secretary of State is known for no nonsense automatons.
So , I gambled going to my hometown on the way to visit Dad. Just for luck maybe ,and hopes of less waiting.
Being easily distracted I did not make an appointment.
One good barn sale would have messed me up.
Went in the Secretary of State , pulled a number off the reel. (Didn't note any discarded numbers from impatient folks or I would have shopped for a lower one) and sat near and facing the door with my back to the counter. Pushed my crutches out just far enough to trip the unwary...
Half the people coming in tried to push the door that had the sign saying pull. So I felt better about my odds. At least I could read the door.
Listening to conversations at the counter there was a guy and a gal having quite a chat with lots of laughing. Figured they knew each other.
When my number was called , all stations at the counter had folks at them ,and I had not seen who called my number.
I went along the counter pretending to have some clue of what I was doing and a guy moved over at the far end where they take your license photo.
As I approached nearer the gal behind the counter said to the guy ,"I went to call the next number one time when it was fifty . I said fifty dollars.
And no one would come up to the counter..." More laughter.
The gal asked what "we" were doing and I handed her two slips of paper . One each for what was needed.
I'm noticing her wedding ring ,aprox. age ect . out of habit and she and the guy are still bantering about his wife asking him about his shirt choice for his picture and telling him that dog won't hunt.
He then asked if I knew? I said ,yeah ,it's usually warmer in the house come winter , than outside..
They laughed.
After some computer time she asked how I was going to pay.
Cash , I said. Straight faced. I'm going to get back in line and wait for you to call fifty dollars. More laughter. The guy said "that'd be cheaper" and the gal said "you guys".
The guy was still bantering and said when his son took the vision test ,he told the poor kid he failed. And laughed.
(O.K. ,now I'm distracted... Vision test..)
Vision test time!
I faked the last half of the second line.
By this time we had been clowning around so much that the distraction/ self-consciousness of the vision test had me wondering what the folks awaiting their turns thought was going on.
More paper shuffling and the gal looks at me with a knowing smile and said , "you barely passed that vision test....."
I said ,"thank you". Then wondered about the joking earlier about the guys son , and was she playing off it. But I knew my eyes were not excelling at the test.
The next look in her eyes told me she had given me a break, I think.
I can read a gals mind usually , unless she expects me to....
The guy was getting his picture taken in the shirt his wife picked for him.
"Momma be proud!" Was his shirt statement again.
He wished us well and headed out.
"Let me borrow that shirt" I said , a little to loud without looking.
From halfway across the room came "Momma be proud!" followed by laughter.
With my picture was finished I went back to the counter.
The gal sat there looking at me , mildly amused.
"Is that it?" I asked.
"That's it" she said.
I stood there starting to feel awkward as she did not call another number or say anything , just sat there watching me like/with a Mona Lisa smile.
Not being able to read her mind again for sure .....
I thanked her ,wished her a great day...And left.
