Perpetual Change

An interesting day

For the first time, I believe, in my life, I wanted to buy fizzy water and all they had was still.  For anyone that has traveled to ANY European country, I am sure you will see how incredible this circumstance was.  At first, I thought I hadn�t understood the shop attendant.

Another incredible event, I was standing on the street (slightly conspicuously, I will explain below), and a man walked by, commenting that I was American.  The strange thing was that at first he kept walking and then he turned and came back to ask if he was right (of course he was just coming from a caf�/bar and later told me that he had just started his month vacation which probably meant he was slightly intoxicated.)  Well, he knew I was American because he rode overnight with me and the other volunteer in a train car, A YEAR AGO!  He remembered her watch in detail.  I don�t even remember if we talked to him, I don�t think so. 

I was conspicuous, because I was wearing my American Scout uniform, and standing with a Ukrainian Scout in uniform.  We were playing a game, with teams from every school in town, something like a treasure hunt.  The scouts had organized it.  The interesting part is that I went into a store after, and I think the attendants had a chuckle at my expense, and it really bothered me.  They may have been laughing about something else, but I couldn�t help thinking it was me, and after so many years, something that can give me such great pride in the right company, still embarrasses me in public.  I was ashamed, and I am teaching a lesson next week on self esteem.

posted by jjs @ 8:03 AM