Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Transitions!

Right now Joe is busily packing suitcases and organizing all our stuff. I am catching up on work emails and finishing something that has today as a deadline. After today's lecture we head to another hotel in a different city. It's part of the routine of travel. I know to stay out of Joe's way, he's pleased that I'm distracted and not 'helping' him with suggestions. We're a well oiled machine.

After work yesterday we stopped at Safeway to pick up something to microwave for dinner. Our room has a tiny fridge and a tiny microwave and we like to make use of it. While in line I noticed that there was a sign up by the till. It wasn't for customers it was for staff. It said, "This till is the first to open and the last to close." Underneath the words was a little wheelchair symbol. I told that staff that I appreciated that the store thought about it, that it was nice that they actually structured accessibility. I mentioned that I was frustrated by going into stores where all the tills are open except the accessible one.

The clerk thanked me, he said, 'I don't think it's nice so much as it makes sense.'

And he's right of course.

It does make sense.

But then ... isn't it nice for something to make sense every  now and them.

Oh .. oh ... it's time for Joe to pack up the computer. It's the last thing to be packed because it keeps me tucked away and busy (and quite) as Joe does what he needs to do. I see that the suitcases are all stacked and ready to go out to the car. I see that the room is all straightened out (Joe doesn't want the cleaning staff to think we were messy) and I see I'm next to go. So, the computer stays open until the very last, it's nice for me, but it's also what make sense.

Well, three more lectures, three more sleeps, and we'll be home!!

4 comments:

wendy said...

How nice that the clerk RECOGNIZES that it just makes sense! Wow.

It sounds like you two have your whole drill down on travel days! I, too, live with someone who is the designated packer for all trips great and small. I leave her to it because, frankly, she could pack a an elephant in a suitcase and would still come out under the weight limit somehow!

Anonymous said...

I notice you said it was time to pack the computer and then kept on typing for an entire paragraph (and one extra line) longer! LOL!

Yeah, my partner is the designated packer, also. Me, if I try to pack, I could try to pack three little bitty pens in a huge trunk and have trouble fitting them in (ok, exageration) while my partner could probably figure out how to tuck an elephant into a toiletry bag if she wanted (possibly also a mild exageration)!

Andrea S

Tamara said...

Love the sign. Love that some people see that access does just make sense.

Colleen said...

It makes sense when you understand that everybody belongs! This is kind of where we hope the world is heading.