AmyGaleRT
06-20-2014, 07:20 PM
Yesterday afternoon, I was leaving my apartment to head to a meeting of the host committee for next February's "Creating Change" conference here in Denver. Of course, I was doing so as Amy, in a new orange polka-dot dress with a thin white cardigan over it, hose and low heels. What can I say, I was trying to look businesslike. :)
As I was locking the door, I noticed a young man passing the entryway of my building...it looked like he was going to keep walking onward, but, instead, he turned to me and said, "Excuse me, ma'am? I'm one of your neighbors, and I was wondering if you have any jumper cables."
Of course, I keep a set in my trunk, but I dithered for a minute, saying, "Um, I think so...", while I was internally debating whether or not I could, or should, help him. A few things flashed through my mind: Would this make me late for the meeting? Would I unwittingly out myself to him? I decided to go ahead and help him. He pushed his car out a bit from its parking space, while I drove mine over and pulled into the empty space next to him.
The jump-starting went uneventfully; I've done this many times before (as a male, though), and I let him hook his end of the cables to his battery before I hooked up the negative side of mine to a metal bracket in my engine compartment. After a couple of tries, his car started, and we were able to unhook everything and get both of us on our way.
The young man was quite polite to me throughout, even opening my hood for me once I'd pulled the tab that unlocked it. If he read me at all, he gave no sign of it, and, of course, I was on my best ladylike behavior throughout. The last thing he said as he got into his car was, "You have a good day," to which I responded, "Thank you, you too!"
Chalk up another "first" for me...it felt good to both be able to help someone out, and to be accepted for what I am in the process!
- Amy
As I was locking the door, I noticed a young man passing the entryway of my building...it looked like he was going to keep walking onward, but, instead, he turned to me and said, "Excuse me, ma'am? I'm one of your neighbors, and I was wondering if you have any jumper cables."
Of course, I keep a set in my trunk, but I dithered for a minute, saying, "Um, I think so...", while I was internally debating whether or not I could, or should, help him. A few things flashed through my mind: Would this make me late for the meeting? Would I unwittingly out myself to him? I decided to go ahead and help him. He pushed his car out a bit from its parking space, while I drove mine over and pulled into the empty space next to him.
The jump-starting went uneventfully; I've done this many times before (as a male, though), and I let him hook his end of the cables to his battery before I hooked up the negative side of mine to a metal bracket in my engine compartment. After a couple of tries, his car started, and we were able to unhook everything and get both of us on our way.
The young man was quite polite to me throughout, even opening my hood for me once I'd pulled the tab that unlocked it. If he read me at all, he gave no sign of it, and, of course, I was on my best ladylike behavior throughout. The last thing he said as he got into his car was, "You have a good day," to which I responded, "Thank you, you too!"
Chalk up another "first" for me...it felt good to both be able to help someone out, and to be accepted for what I am in the process!
- Amy