I had a rather unique experience tonight. After work, I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things and cash my paycheck. As I was loading t.p. and candy corn (the breakfast of champions) into my van, I noticed that the owner of the car next to me was having trouble getting her trunk closed. Our political differences were immediately obvious; her red Ford Tempo was plastered with "Support our Troops" and "Bush/Cheney 04" stickers, while my blue minivan sported a similar number of "Hope is on the Way", "Give Peace a Chance" and Human Rights Campaign stickers.
She turned to me smiled a bit, even after seeing the "Kerry/Edwards" button that is still pinned to my jacket. "I'm not very mechanically inclined," she said. "Would you help me?"
How could I not?
Now, I'm not very mechanically inclined, either, but I spend all day working on watches, so I know a thing or two about springs, which is what was the problem with the latch to her trunk.
"So you voted for Bush," I noted conversationally as I fiddled with the latch.
"Yes," she said. "I had never voted before, but I have a baby, and that's enough to worry about without terrorists. He made me feel safe."
I looked down and saw the jars of Gerber's packed up in WinCo plastic sacks, then I looked back at her. This blue-eyed waif couldn't be more than eighteen, but she had a baby. Plus, she drove a Tempo. No wonder she needed to feel safe.
I've already admitted to you that I'm not very inclined toward any machine too big to be worn on a wrist, so it will come as no surprise to you that I was unable to fix her trunk. Instead, we went back into the store in search of rope.
We didn't talk inside the store, but I did think. Progressives tend not to hold things against people, be it poverty, sexual orientation, race, religion or any other demographic delineator. Certainly I could forgive the emptiness that leaves people open to Republican propaganda. Most certainly in this blond wisp of a girl who had barely begun to see the world.
We found the rope, and I bought it for her. She had no money with her, only the food stamps she had used to buy baby food.
"I really appreciate you helping me," she said after I tied down her trunk.
"I'm glad I could," I said, "and besides, I owe the universe a turn or two."
And now, so does she.