Whenever I donate blood, there is a nice wide range of other people also giving blood. But last night was a particularly good mix, the kind that a writer might well take liberties in INVENTING, just to make a story about the milk of human kindness a little more touching. But no, these were my actual companions:
1. A goth girl, late teens, looking like she wanted everyone to know this did NOT mean she cared about HUMANITY or anything, she was JUST trying to increase her PALLOR.
2. The classic cheerful, loud, tall, balding, beer-bellied, beer-logo-baseball-cap wearin’ man, also wearin’, I am not even kidding, a United States flag shirt where the entire shirt was made of flag design. With light-wash jeans and high-top sneakers.
3. A petite churchy Midwestern-type lady in slacks and a turtleneck and a little blazer all in appropriate dark neutrals, sitting with very good posture and ankles crossed, using reading glasses to study the book she was holding up right in front of her face to avoid curving her neck down.
Oh, it is SO TEMPTING to make this list EVEN BETTER. Like, I could add a guy in a suit and tie, right? And another guy from a messy trade—a painter, maybe, or a car mechanic, with paint/oil all over his clothes. And then I could add a party-type woman, and perhaps a geeky high school boy. Or at the very least I could add a necklace worn over the petite woman’s turtleneck.
But I will refrain from embellishing. Those three people who were actually there, plus me as the “plump make-up-less mother-type in jeans and a not entirely clean t-shirt and sporty mary janes” made a FINE tear-eliciting, we’re-all-in-this-together assortment. More would just be pushing it.
Sounds like the beginning of a Nick Hornsby novel.
Now you just need to get trapped together somehow.
StephLove- I know: SATURDAY DETENTION!!
I am blood-giving ineligible (mad cow disease), so I’ve never been to one. I am highly amused by your description.
Also, show me these sporty mary janes. Mine are nearly worn out.
HereWeGoAJen- They’re Merrell Circuit Maryjanes: here they are on Amazon; mine are the brown/purple ones. (I got them on clearance at Marshalls for $30, though.)
Just wanted to increase her pallor – heeheehee!
I love people watching. It’s the best part of going out in public.
You just can’t make this shit up. That is so awesome, Swistle. I can just picture the pale, sullen goth girl next to the jovial guy in the flag shirt.
i haven’t given blood since leaving my last job (had a place right next door! it was so convenient!) but we’re having a blood drive @ my office next week. although i will probably get turned away due to visiting south america. they’re very picky about that malaria thing.
Ha! I had the same thought about getting trapped in there, only not Saturday-detention-style but Stephen-King style. Just shows you my brain.
Ha, I see everyone already beat me to it, but I was going to say your story would be this millennium’s “Breakfast Club.”
Loved the descriptions, but really I just want to say thank you for donating. I was diagnosed this summer with a condition that requires monthly infusions of a blood plasma product – a product that wouldn’t be available if not for the incredible generosity of you and the cast of characters you described. Ironically, I used to give blood on a regular basis but obviously can’t now. My family and I truly thank you for helping patients like myself.
“…just wanted to increase her pallor.” That is a priceless line. Heh heh.
#1 HAHAHHAAHAHAAAAAA
Unfortunately it doesn’t sound like there were any possible mismatched romances in the group. Maybe church lady and flag man?
You could definitely have used a nerdy teenaged boy.