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an embarassing moment.

2007-03-20

Good morning Boys and Girls.

I am one of those annoying men who tends to use mild terms of endearment when I encounter women in the world. My father did it, and somehow I've always done it as well.

Young waitress fills my coffee cup? "Thank you hun."

Older female teller at the bank cashes my check? "Thanks Ma'am."

That sort of thing...

It's habit and it's ingrained in me as deeply as any other personality trait I can think of.

So it was that yesterday afternoon I pulled through a McDonalds drive-thru in Grand Rapids.

At the speaker: "Thank you for choosing McDonalds. How may I help you?"

"Hi. Large Coffee. 2 creams, 2 sugars please."

"Is that all?"

"That's it."

"Would you like to contribute a dollar to senior meals on wheels?"

"Not now." (I'd already pulled the change out of my pocket to pay for the coffee.)

"That's a dollar thirty-eight at the first window please."

I pulled up and handed over exact change.

"Thank you."

"Thank YOU!"

I pulled up to the second window. A man spoke with the slightest trace of a lisp and talked with one shoulder turned toward the window just a bit.

"Hello sir. You have the large coffee with two creams and two sugars?"

"Yep."

"Can you wait a sec?. A new pot is almost done - less than a minute."

"Cool."

"Oh, would you look at this. The creamer's out. I'll be right back. I'll just get some from the other machine, OK?"

"Sure." Like I might object...

He was back in fifteen seconds and poured the just brewed coffee in the cup and fit the lid to it and handed it over. "Here ya goOOoo." Sing-song.

And God forgive me, it just came out. "Thank you dear."

And he smiled at me. No, he absolutely BEAMED at me. Did he actually bat his eyes? I'm not sure.

I pulled away and felt both guilty, embarrassed by my slip, and thankful I hadn't offended the guy. Anything but!

Then I started laughing.

And I realized, as I drove up the hill on Leonard, that even though it was wholely accidentally, I'd just made his day!

Good enough.


Be good to everyone.

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surrogate (2007-03-21)
I think that's terribly wrong. But I'd do it! (I'm grillin' ribs for the tailgate party.)

Hardcore_Pyro (2007-03-21)
That's funny stuff. There's a particular starbucks that I go to because I get free coffee. The guy is um, sweet on me and I take full advantage of that. Does that make me a coffee whore? I think it saves me three bucks a cup. I'm secure enough in my manhood (da bears).

Spirited Minikin (2007-03-20)
Oh this is so hilarious! I love the way you tell it...I can totally picture the actual exchange...:).

Elvenbeads (2007-03-20)
thats not so bad... dear. As I was also trained to say ma'am. ~blessed be

The Brit (2007-03-20)
hee hee... that's a good kind of embarassing moment

Digital Dreams (2007-03-20)
This was fun to read.. and a reminder that none of us are alone when we make mistakes. And.. if it made his day, it worked.

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