Ten minutes of Life At My Level

Picture this:

It's the end of the day and I'm walking down the street in South Melbourne.

I catch my reflection in a nearby window.

For once I am happy with what I see. My hair is still sitting nicely after the quick blow wave I gave it this morning, I've made an effort and put on some makeup - not much mind you. At my age I have discovered that less is more so my make up comprises of BB Cream (oh for the love of blog, someone ask me to do a sponsored post for BB cream and I'll sing its praises from the rooftops!), a little powder and some mascara.

I feel good.

Then...I pass a little boy.

"LOOK AT THAT REALLY OLD GRANDMA!!!"

Thanks kid. Thanks a lot.

Ego successfully deflated.

I do laugh though, and another woman walking close by hears me, joins in and says, "Out of the mouths of babes..."
"Yes," I answer. "They just say out loud what adults are thinking."

I walk on.

Twenty metres along and I'm accosted by an elderly lady in a mobility scooter. She says hello and ask me to stop for a moment. I oblige.....

....until I see her start to pull out some religious pamphlets - warnings and inspirations from The Watchtower. 

For some reason when you're living with an obvious physical difference or disability, people from such organisations seem to think you need saving....or relief from your suffering. 

I politely decline. I won't say what I'm really thinking.

"Honey, I've been a bonafide, card-carrying member of the Pentecostal church since I first drew breath and there ain't nothing you can give me that I haven't already seen!"

I go another hundred metres or so and stop at some lights. An elderly gentleman spies me and exclaims, "Hey! I saw you in a relay race in Melbourne about ten years ago!"

(see, that's the thing. If you've seen one short statured person then every other one you see is THAT same one!)

"Oh that wasn't me." I explain. "I went in the Run For The Kids in the city last year and the year before so maybe you saw me then."

"Probably...." he said. "You were great. If they don't give you an Order of Australia then I'll blow up Canberra!"

Goodness! That's a little extreme!

I stop outside the Exhibition Centre so I can mail some letters and documents. The mail box is too high so I have to place the letters on the lip of the slot one by one and bang them in with the remaining envelopes. The last envelope will not fall down into the slot. I jump and try to hit it in to no avail!

Luckily a kind, random stranger walking by sees my predicament and comes over to assist. We laugh together, I thank her for her help and continue on.

As I reach my destination I am astounded that all that happened in the short space of ten minutes and decide that everything was a wonderful thing to blog about to show you a small snippet of what it is to live life at my level!