Social Security

In the event of a disaster, anybody would cry for help which is exactly what happened the other day when I was turning in some paperwork at the local social security office. It was my day off of work so I figured I could wake up late and still make my appointment. I woke up later than I had planned to, took a shower, didn't shave (my 5 o' clock shadow from the previous day had turned into a 11 am apparition) and made a run to the office.

I wasn't surprised to see a long line ahead of me and the matchbox sized office didn't help the cause. People spilled out the building and as my luck would have it, a downpour began and I was the only one left standing minus an umbrella. I stuffed my paperwork under my shirt and hoped the ink was not made in China. When it was my turn to enter the building, it mysteriously stopped raining. I was so awed by the God of Rain, the thought of cursing him never crossed my mind.

Completely soaked, I walked through the door and in an involuntary action, I happened to shake my head vigorously. It wasn't well-received by people around me. I apologized for my K9-like behaviour and it was accepted by them closing their umbrellas two inches from my face. Inside the building, I noticed a young girl, probably five-years-old, sitting on a wooden bench with her arms folded. I also noticed that my head-shake had caught her attention. She didn't look away and her eyes were locked on to mine for a good amount of time. In yet another involuntary action, I smiled and said "Hi".

I'm not sure if it was my unshaven look or my messed up hair or the water dripping from my shirt or my appearance in general but something triggered the floodgates to open in her eyes. She started to bawl incessantly and the cry was loud enough for her mother to stop what she was doing at the office counter and rush back to her kid. It also attracted attention from people around me who probably started thinking about using their umbrellas as weapons against me.

In a mellow yet audible voice, the deeply concerned mother asked her daughter "Is everything okay, sweetie?". With no hesitation, the kid pointed me out and in a voice muffled by her cries, she said "That man is very scary". The mother looked at me and she seemed petrified to a degree too but she apologized on her daughter's behalf. The water dripping down from my head prevented my face from turning red and I managed a feeble "It's alright. She is right".

I was her worst nightmare and her disaster. Talk about Social Security.