Story of the Day 12/ 21/ 2012

Today may be the end of the world, or , at least, the end of the Mayan calendar, but it was also a beautiful wedding, the one we went to, this morning.

On the way home we had to stop and buy gas. It was either that or get out and push the car.
Luckily, there were gas stations open.
It is cold out, and windy, and there is ice and snow everywhere.
Leaving the gas station, pulling out into traffic, I said to my son, Ely, "This is a real Story of the Day" to which he replied, "It sure is!"

When we got to the gas station, I got out and ran my charge card through. Then I removed the nozzle and pushed for the regular grade of gas.
And tried to fill my tank...but the pump was stuck.
A moment later, a young man ( whom it took me a minute to recognize as working for the station) appeared and started trying to help me.
In accented, but good English, he asked me what the problem was. Then he tried the pump, again, and again. Then, after realizing somethings as actually wrong, he apologized profusely, and told me , apologetically, that I would need to use another pump.
I took my car over to another pump- which involved backing and moving forward, and he appeared again and tried to do everything for me. He pumped the gas, topped it off, and then replaced the nozzle on the pump.
Then, the pump wouldn't print the recipe. He apologetically informed me that I would have to go inside to do that.
He told me that he was sorry it was such bad weather. I told him he needed a scarf.
I started off to the inside.
He followed.
He explained to the man behind the cash register what I needed, and then he handed me the receipt.
This was all being watched by my incredulous oldest son, Ely. My younger son was asleep in the backseat.

As I was pulling away, my son made some remark about how unbelievable that was
and not just because he lives in New York. You see, while the station attendant was waiting on me hand and foot and fuel pump, he was also blatantly ignoring all of the other dozen customers.
My son was amazed that this was a full service gas station, since those are rare, if they even still exist.
I told him that it wasn't. It wasn't a full service gas station.


He, being Ely, asked, "Do you think it is because of how you are dressed?"

"Of course," I replied.

You see, we were at wedding. A very lovely wedding
On the day the world ends. Or was supposed to end, or maybe is still supposed to end, according to the Mayan calendar. Although, the Mayans didn't believe that, just some fringe folks who can't conceive of restarting calendars.

And this date was picked for the wedding, on purpose.
By a rather fun couple.
Who requested that we attire ourselves, for the wedding, in our Halloween costumes.
And, I think they had assumed I would wear my nun costume.


But I didn't'.

Instead, I wore a very lovely shalwar kameez.
Which, as I explained to my son, told us that the young man from the gas station's mother had raised him well, to help little old ladies from his native country.

Even though he must have been bit surprised by my native , to here, accent