It was summer. One of those days so bright the sun hurts the eyes and you can smell the dust on the streets. It might have been a Sunday as I don't remember a lot of traffic, but then again, that road was not a busy one at that time anyway.
My dad, myself and Dr. Q, the dentist that shared a waiting room with my dad, were walking down the street heading east. I think we were coming from having just looked at the new offices of another dentist in town, at least that is the only thing I can think of that would put us in that location.
What I don't remember, is why I was the only one with them. Dr. Q had five children, the oldest being about my age and I have three siblings. I very rarely went anywhere with just my dad, usually my sister would be there too. Maybe she was, memory is a funny thing.
My dad and Dr. Q were about the same height, around 6 feet even. This put their hands at eye level to me as I was walking between them, so I would have been what, less than 8 years old, probably around 6. Maybe it was because I didn't have any siblings with me, maybe it was just the extent of my shyness at the time, but, I wanted to hold dad's hand.
I couldn't look up to see which one was my dad, just in case Dr. Q saw me looking at him! I looked left, I looked right, well, the hands looked the same! I looked left, then right again. The jackets were very similar tweedy jackets! I looked again and again! At that age, I didn't pay attention to what colour or type of clothes people were wearing, I didn't notice jewellery (I made up for that later), so I was in a dither. I mustered up my courage and slipped my little hand into the big hand on my right, I was sure that one was dad's.
Imagine my horror and terror when two or three steps later, I mustered the courage to look up! It was Dr. Q! Oh no! I can't just yank my hand back, I know that that is rude and it would give me away. I am a big girl, I can behave better than that! What to do?
I slipped my left hand into dad's and made them swing me!
I didn't tell anyone about this mistake until years after the fact and we all had a good laugh. I am nowhere near that shy any more.
Good afternoon all.
12 comments:
I love that story! We have so many of those tidbits tucked away in our memory banks. So overwhelming at the time. So amusing and benign in retrospect. And I can totally relate to the shyness you felt. I was painfully shy as a child and still shyer than most, today.
Thanks Hilary. You're right, the trauma of the time is why we remember it. I still find it agonizing to have to deal with new people and situations and it still feels as terrible as when I realized that wasn't dad's hand.
All those dentists' mitts look the same, eh?
Cute story, Reb, and one I don't remember ever having heard before. But definitely relate to the shyness thing...
Thanks sis, yes, we were quite a pair.
I wonder if a lot of bloggers were shy as kids or still are today? I sure am.
Great story, and nice recovery at the end there!
Thanks Crabby, I figured as I was holding two hands, they might as well swing me!
I am sure most of us started out that way, some more so than others.
Crabby, you might have hit on something there! It is much easier to put yourself "out there" with the written word, isn't it? And the Bag Lady is still shy enough to not want to post any current photos of herself...don't want to spoil the illusion!
Oh, a great story. Once I thought it was my husband in the seat behind me. I was driving. He wasn't behind me, he was in the middle. I didn't want him to tell a particular story he'd started reached back and grabbed someone's leg. Could'a died.
Totally get the shyness.
Am limited for time.
Therapydoc, thanks for stopping by, yes, I have done that too.
Leah, just glad you stopped at all.
I love this story, Reb! And the solution your eight-year-old self came up with was sheer brilliance. I love eight-year-old Reb, I do! I read this to Miss Mama and she said, "That was very quick thinking!" Then she grinned. Mama loves Reb too!
It's funny. For all my seeming extrovertedness, I consider myself to be somewhat shy still. In new situations I like to secrete myself in corners and watch people and assess situations before I speak to anyone. Once I have a handle on things, however, WATCH OUT!
Oh, Virginia Lee, that sounds like just what I do. Don't like new situations at all, but once I am comfortable...
Thanks for dropping by, I am glad you and Miss Mama enjoyed my story.
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