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Pat has been watching the tournament for more than seven hours. Golf -- watching others play it -- is just not as compelling to me as it is to her. Her face is enchanted. Several minutes ago, her arms made a putting motion involuntarily.
Business Center Pleasure
Leaving the hotel's Business Center tonight, after talking with my mom over Skype behind a closed door, the attendant says to me, "Ma'am, you would look so beautiful if you wore diamond earrings, like I'm wearing," and she points to her light-brown ears with the sparkling, white stones, looking more dramatic than they ever could against my pale, greenish-pink ears.
I'm wearing a red Teacher's College T-shirt, navy-blue Columbia University sweatpants and zero makeup, and looking at me then, anyone would need a good imagination to see me as beautiful. For a moment, I think she's trying to give me tips on how to make myself more determinately female. I look at her with annoyance for a split-second.
Then it hits me that she's just trying to be nice and I say, "Well, certainly, you look beautiful, wearing them."
"No, ma'am!" she says looking down shyly. Actually, she is a gorgeous woman and suddently, I feel like I'm flirting inadvertantly.
She looks back up at me and says, "I've noticed you and I was just thinking how they would look so nice --"
It makes sense that she would have seen me before, since we've been staying at this hotel for three weeks so far. Still, it feels great that she is acknowledging aloud that she has witnessed me. "Thanks," I say, smiling, and then walk out of the "Internet Room."
The Business Center exit is in front of me and I turn around and return to her. "I'm touched by your having been nice to me, especially your saying that you noticed me. Sometimes, walking around this hotel, I feel like I don't really belong anywhere and to hear you acknowledge having seen me makes me feel more connected. Thank you!"
She just smiles beautifully.
2 comments:
hi sarah,
it’s great to catch up with your indian adventures! sorry to hear that it is sometimes tough, but it sounds like it’s really worth it in the final analysis. i’m glad you’re enjoying meeting interesting and important people and i hope you move in your own place soon. although, your hotel does look swanky. they take the concept of the customer as a king to a whole new level when they compare her/him to an incarnation of god.
this episode with the diamond earringed attendant reminds me again of how amazingly good people person you are, always taking the time to be personal, validating and interested in others. i guess you really mean your namastes, recognizing the divine in people.
i’m doing well, still interning at the un, which goes very well. eri and i are going on a vacation in the middle of august, but i’ll go back to the un after the semester starts and do it half-time.
new york is not too bad for this time of the year, and the last couple of days have been quite pleasant. i hope it stays like this for a while.
stay well, and i look forward to following your blog a bit closer again.
z
Zdravko, you're generous. I found a colleague here who loves Martin Buber, and when I learned that, I was reminded of our good conversation on the way home from class last semester.
I miss TC -- the corporeal version, as I'm doing an independent study for these two semesters -- and want to hear more about your UN internship. I told Professor Youngblood that that's where you are now and she was delighted.
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