School's out!

Ya! It's all over and summer is here. I'm SO excited. I got back home the 1st and I've been workin hard every since.

As most of you know I am a shift manager at Arby's. Thursday was a short shift and I worked as the drive through cashier. There I was at the window collecting, making change, and passing the food out the window. The next order in line was a small order of mozzarella sticks. "Hello, your total is $3.15." As I reached for the cash, I noticed first the car in which this customer was sitting. A old red Camero Really old, like twenty years ago old, like it needed restored old. No joke, this car was so rusty it's a miracle it was still together. The inside was not much better. The well worn seats were falling through and large portions of the metal frame were sticking out. On the passenger seat lies a panama style straw hat (the ones with the wide woven flat brim) and its top is covered in duct tape. The guy handing me a $20 is about middle aged with a crew cut, t-shirt, and loose fitting jeans. My initial reaction was that this guy was just a little goofy. Pretty normal but just a little strange. However that all changed, because when I handed back his change he said, "Mame, may I ask you a question?". Then tapping his forehead with his index finger he asked, "Do I look retarded?" I wanted to laugh and let him know that if he had to ask then it was a dumb question, but I said "no". A few minuets later he came through the drive through again and repeated the same question to one of my coworkers.

At first reaction this story seams funny. But as I thought about it I began to feel very sorry for the guy. He knew he had a problem, but he wanted to be treated with the same respect and dignity that all normal humans receive. He wanted to be loved and trusted. He wanted girls to think he was hot in his "nice" Camero. It reminded me that no matter how dim someone may be mentally, they still deserve to be respected, loved, and treated with dignity.