Wow.
That’s about all I have to say for today.
Suffice to say that today went kind of badly for me. I ended up at the Italian Coffee Shop down the street trying to connect with someone back home, but it was a very emotional moment for me… and I broke down crying in the café. I had suspected that this might have occurred, so I had located myself subtly a corner so that if the waterworks started, no one would have to know.
Well what began as a few tears grew into a steady stream, which grew into… Carolyn was sitting in a puddle (I am okay now, don’t worry). Puddle progressed to pond which progressed to lake which progressed to… well you get the general idea. Sooner than later, I was a soggy, weepy, leaky mess… right there in the café. It was embarrassing to say the least, and I tried really hard to keep everyone from knowing what exactly all the salt water was coming from.
It seems these efforts failed miserably however, and in the midst of a Skyping frenzy, I felt a hand on my back. I looked up and saw a middle aged woman looking at me with a face full of concern.
“Do you speak Spanish,” she asked me (in Spanish, of course). I wetly nodded.
“Is everything alright?”
Another wet nod… “I’m just a little sad right now,” I told her.
She smiled at me and looked right in my eyes. “Well, I am going to pray for you today,” she told me “and I’ll ask God to make your day better than it is now. Things will get better.”
I was so astounded. She had been so kind to some random stranger in a café who looked more like a wet chicken than a human girl. I was so touched, though…
More time passed and the waterworks continued. Trust me, I was being pretty subtle… or as subtle as a crying twenty year old can be! An elderly man soon came up to me and handed me a napkin, then walked away. I opened the napkin to dry my eyes some more and I read the following message: “You should be smiling instead of crying like that. Remember: after the darkest moment in the night, there is a beautiful brand new day. Hope things get better soon. Take care.” He didn’t sign his name, just left a little smiley face.
WOW. Maybe it is because it was an emotional day, but those two people really shook me up a bit. I began to wonder if a similar thing would have happened in the United States. So often the people of my country seem cold and uninviting, while the population here is so warm, smiling and welcoming. I am still not exactly sure what I have decided on that account.
I swear, there are angels hiding in the world everywhere you go. I know this entry has little to do with culture, Spanish or journalism, but I think it is my best entry yet, just the same.
And in case anyone is worried, I really am okay. I had to hit the boo-hoo button because I was all out of cranberries. Plus, I sat on a marshmallow, and that never helps things, does it?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment