Monday, October 20, 2008
Most Awkward Moment Ever. Sister and I took a quick jaunt over to the dollar store tonight because she needed some more bowls so as to have something with which to pop popcorn into (the bowls she normally uses are currently loaded with watermelon). We were wandering down the aisles when something caught my eye.
"Whoa. That's not something that belongs in Utah County. That belongs in San Fransisco or NYC," I thought. Sister concurred. What was it we found between the shelves? Yeah, a cross-dresser. This black guy with stubbly side-burns, a bright yellow hat, pastel purple shirt (with a dark green undershirt- the lacy kind), and light green pants (Sister adds he was wearing high-heels) was with some girl picking out headbands. Frilly ones. For him, I assume, because he was asking her if it would look OK on him when they got behind us in the checkout line. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
I didn't want the Sister to miss out on this strange wonder, so I dragged her over a few aisles so she could see this guy, too. And then he saw us. "That is a really cute shirt," he said, looking directly at me. I think I gawked at him. Gaped, even. Then I stammered a quick "thanks." I mean, what do you
do in a situation like that? I mean really? This is not something my sheltered self has oft come in contact with and I just did not even know how to react. It was so bizarre!
Then we get in the checkout line, Sister and I. And I see CD and Girl (well, heard mostly; I was trying not to look at this point for fear of staring) come up behind us and I just kept thinking in my heart "please don't talk to me, don't get in this line, please don't talk to me..." But, no.
"Where did you get that really cute shirt?"
And I gawked and gaped at him again, totally at a loss for words and noticing his purple lipstick for the first time before finally pulling out from the banks of my memory "Maurices."
"Thanks for telling me," he said, and the weird part is how exceedingly sincere he sounded.
I don't know whether to take this situation as a compliment or an insult. I mean, I've never had a cross-dresser compliment me on my choice of fashion before. I've never even been that
close to a cross-dresser before (well, I may be lying here; it is hard not to be that close to people- closer even- when you are meandering the streets of the Big Apple during high tourist season, but I've never talked to one before and that's my point).
Anyway, he seemed, you know, really friendly and nice and all, but still. Weird weird awkward weird for me.
I just hope I never see some guy wearing walking the streets of Utah county wearing my clothes. I would never be able to wear them again.
