Fun with Bells
I worked two hours at Miracle Mart today ringing the Salvation Army bell. After losing three toes to the cold (why, oh why did my family decide to settle in North Dakota?), I feel that I've learned not only about my hometown, but about people in general and old people in specific. They put my mom and I in the entryway to the store, because it "wasn't as cold," but really it was just as cold but we weren't being snowed on. My mom and I talked about various boring things- mostly my boyfriend, Josh Duhamel and Fergie (they spent Thanksgiving in Minot!), school, and Christmas shopping. Then mom had to go pick up my sister from school. And that's when things got weird.
One older lady came up to me and in a very soft voice told me that I was such a good person for volunteering, especially at my age. She went on for 30 to 45 seconds. What do you say to that? "Oh, thank you, I know I'm a wonderful person who will surely be accepted with open arms into heaven. I'm not like the Lindsay Lohan's and Britney Spears' of my age. I am better than everyone, and you better not forget it." Instead, I just said thank you. But all of this passed through my mind. She didn't even give any money.
Another even older man came up to me, gave some money, and then sidled in real close-like, as if telling me a secret. It was vaguely harassment-y. I didn't say anything, but I was a little scared. The following conversation is exact and unchanged in any way.
Old man: "You know, the Sunday school at my church did a fundraiser. They gave all the money to Africa."
Me: "Oh?"
Old man: "They shouldn't give the money to Africa, they should keep it here in America!"
Me: "Uh…"
Old man: "You know who it will go to if it goes to Africa, don't you?"
Me thinking: Oh God, don't let him say it. Whatever he's going to say, he needs to stop.
Old man: "The outlaws."
Then he left. It made me very uncomfortable, but honestly, it could have been worse. Not much worse, but really it could have been worse. Racism, for real. Look into it.
The mystical day ended when my feet were so cold that I had to put the bell down and walk into the store because I couldn't feel anything from my shins down. Then my mom picked me up and I ate 2 fruit snacks and a ton of jalapeno chips. Not a bad day really, it was pretty realistic. Is it possible to cry yourself to death?