Giving this oldie but goodie some rehashing and seeking the comment love (I think) it deserves!
Another great round at The Lounge! Thanks Tegan at Musings of the Misguided for hosting!
Recently, I wrote a post about the unsolicited opinions and quick judgements I’ve encountered from random strangers and barely there acquaintances.
What I failed to mention were the side comments I receive from by-passers. There are two particularly common remarks that get flung around so frequently that it’s even throwing Lady Gaga out of fashion.
People will walk by and inevitably have a good gawk. Then, without fail, I will be hit with either a:
“Ooooh, double trouble !” or “Gee, your hands must be full !”
Are we that desperate for some originality these days ?
And why does it always have to be a negative tone ?
One always has the choice to say: “Twice as nice.” Or better yet, just smile. Then walk on. Please.
I was waiting in-line at our teeny tiny shoe-box of a post office one day. It’s a place where the Asian ladies working there barely crack a smile and the term “customer service” has never had the adjective “friendly” in front of it.
The man in front of me was drawing a cheque and happily exclaimed to the rest of the queue how he had just reached his first million dollars in his bank account. The lady at the counter – in her typical icy cold style – didn’t even bat an eyelid. In fact, I’m pretty sure she threw one of her “Do you think I care ?” pouts.
As the brand new millionaire left the post office, and I moved up to the counter, I was terrified to face the dragon lady. My twin stroller had pretty much taken up the entire narrow aisle and had knocked a few items off the shelves as I had inched my way to be served. Looking apologetic for all the kerfuffle I had created, I handed over the letters I needed posting.
“Oh, you hab twins ? Day boys ?” she asked in her strong Vietnamese accent.
“Uh, yes, yes. Both boys…” I smiled timidly.
I had been in the post office before when the boys were barely 8 months and sleeping soundly in their covered pram. So, this was the first time she had had a proper view. Her out-of-character friendly small talk had taken me aback.
“How old ? Day look ay-den-ti-kal. Day look same.” She continued. Even cracking a smile when looking down at the boys from the counter.
“Just turned one. Yes, identical.” I was floored. I almost fainted from all her unusual niceties.
“One million. Two million dollar. I don’t care. When you have twin…who need million dollar ???” She said matter-of-factly as she put the stamps on my mail and tossed them in the despatch box.
I was left at the counter gobsmacked. While she, on the other hand, had already forgotten about me and was turning up her chin in military style to say to the next customer, “Yes, you. Next. Hup two.”
Who needs a million dollars when you have twins.
It was a comment that ticked all my boxes.
Original. Positive. Sincere.
Yup, I’ll take that. Thanks.
My million dollar twins
It’s like if you have two wonderful healthy kids, you’ve already won the lottery, so to speak. If people are negative, who needs ’em? Twice as nice, indeed.
Yes, indeed !
I realized even more what blessings they are when they were able to crack her shell and managed to make her smile 🙂
Thanks for reading !
Love million dollar twins. Very blessed. Loved catching up. Miss you guys. X t
Love million dollar twins. Very blessed. Loved catching up. Miss you guys. X t
Thanks, lovely lady ! So great to see you too !
Look forward to the next time we catch up 🙂
Miss you loads x
Love this! She’s right, that lady. 🙂
Thanks for Rewinding at the Fibro.
A good friend of mine has twins and says she is so sick of people saying “double trouble”. And I get “ooo you must have your hands full” all the time as I had mine close together. Lovely comment from the post office lady 🙂
Catherine Rodie Blagg @CoTaaB recently posted..Juggling Pineapples
Love it! I also have had a scary post office lady who hates kids be nice to me when doing passports (and I’d filled out the form wrong) and the kids were being a-holes (no other word for it – running around and being noisy and basically non-public shopping centre behaviour). I was waiting for her to go nuts and she was nice to me for the first time ever. Sometimes I think we just read people wrong (and they us)
Lydia C. Lee recently posted..The extroverted introvert.
Some of those comments get old don’t they? My boys are 20 now, but when I see little identical twin boys out and about I nudge my daughter, and smile like twin mothers do, and just keep going.
As for asian people, they just loooove twin boys. Lucky, verrry lucky! Perhaps why I was more inclined to take the Feral boys to asian restaurants…I didn’t always feel so lucky in other restaurants.
Thanks for bringing back memories 😀 Funnily enough I just posted my post with a photo of the baby boys.
What a great story, Grace. Just when you think people are so predictable they go and surprise the hell out of you. x
Leanne Winter recently posted..Take A Deep Breath
The Vietnamese LOVE kids. I lived in Hanoi when my oldest was a baby and in the airport, people were coming up to us and literally kissing her feet. Like I was holding a baby Dalai Lama or something. Too funny 😉
Lani recently posted..Weddings and diets and things
I do love it when people surprise you like that! Before I had kids I never understood that knowing little smile I used to see some women give each other. I get it now & only just recently realised I am one of those who does smile & walk on by. ‘Nuff said!! 😉
Jodie@FreshHomeCook recently posted..Beef & Vegetable Lasagna
I love this post! As I read it I could see the whole thing unfolding before me. What a gem of a lady and what a great thing to say! As for the not-so-secret-millionaire, what the actual?
Great post! X
Robomum recently posted..Thank you, mate. Thank you.
That’s lovely! People can be so rude about it. When Cam and I wanted ours close together, people told us to give them some space. We did in the end (not through lack of trying, though!) and now everyone says there’s TOO much of a gap. Sometimes you just CAN’T WIN. x
Emily recently posted..A space to play
Aww look at your little bubbas! Its so great when someone takes us by surprise in a nice way.
Thanks for linking up with us at The Lounge
Tegan recently posted..Parenting with a Mental Illness: Kirsty
What a lovely comment! Unfortunately, some people just don’t think before commenting on our kids. I am sick of hearing, “Oh, she’s an active one” – I usually smile and agree BUT I’d like to say “She’s 2 and a half, I’d be worried if she wasn’t!” Love the pic of your boys when they were so teeny 🙂
Kaz @ Melting Moments recently posted..Bepanthen Mummy Diaries – Baby Sleep and Mum Sleep