Tuesday, December 20, 2005
The toughest person I know
The toughest person I know is definitely the old Chinese lady who works at the drop-off laundromat. I stopped by today, figuring that there was basically no chance that she'd make it from wherever she lives to Chinatown (I know that she usually takes the subway to work) with the transit strike. She was there right at 9am, all bundled up with gloves and a scarf on. I helped her open the gate, like I usually do when I get there at the same time that she does (she's not tall enough to get the gate above the entrance to the door) and we both went inside. The first thing she says is "very cold!"
I just stopped and said "how in the world did you get here?"
"Many people ... walk over bridge ... walk into here"
Her next statement was one that will go down in the annals of my personal history as a classic:
"today, subway ... no good!"
In all seriousness, I walk by the laundromat at 9pm and this lady is in there folding clothes. She's almost always the person who opens the store at 9am. She's there on weekends. The store is open from 9am-5pm on Christmas. For whatever reason, she's closed on Wednesdays, but everyone needs a day off so why the hell NOT Wednesday?
I like to think of myself as a tough person who can deal with a lot, but I'm not anywhere near what this lady is. She lives in a country where she has only a basic grasp of the language, and I know how tough that is. She works a ton of hours per week, unlike me. I'm writing this at work when I should be getting stuff done. And she does the same thing, all-day, every-day. Even when it's 21 degrees outside (that was the temperature in Chinatown at 9am this morning), she's still there ... even if subway no good.
I just stopped and said "how in the world did you get here?"
"Many people ... walk over bridge ... walk into here"
Her next statement was one that will go down in the annals of my personal history as a classic:
"today, subway ... no good!"
In all seriousness, I walk by the laundromat at 9pm and this lady is in there folding clothes. She's almost always the person who opens the store at 9am. She's there on weekends. The store is open from 9am-5pm on Christmas. For whatever reason, she's closed on Wednesdays, but everyone needs a day off so why the hell NOT Wednesday?
I like to think of myself as a tough person who can deal with a lot, but I'm not anywhere near what this lady is. She lives in a country where she has only a basic grasp of the language, and I know how tough that is. She works a ton of hours per week, unlike me. I'm writing this at work when I should be getting stuff done. And she does the same thing, all-day, every-day. Even when it's 21 degrees outside (that was the temperature in Chinatown at 9am this morning), she's still there ... even if subway no good.
