It was one of those "passing by" encounters. I was walking in the parking lot and a man was passing me by. I glanced at him, and he gave me a broad smile.
"Arhh da le ba blah blah..."
I stopped. "I'm sorry," I said with a smile. "What did you say?"
"Arhh da le ba blah blah..."
Hopeless. There was no way I could lipread this guy. I had no idea what he was talking about. No clue what he was saying. By this time, we had both turned around and we were walking backwards towards our destinations. Me, toward the door at Target. He, to his car.
I nodded and smiled.
Bluffed.
We turned and walked. Our encounter had ended. There I was again, with no clue what was said. A situation where I couldn't really stop this stranger and give him a brief synopsis of my life story.
"Hi, I'm deaf, I read lips. Can you slow down and repeat what you said, for the third time? Oh, I still didn't get it. Can you write it down?"
No, we were just two strangers passing by in a parking lot, a handsome guy making a comment about something. Something I had no clue about. Perhaps maybe he was commenting on the beautiful evening? No idea.
Ah, the story of my life. Stuff that is missed. Brief tidbits of life that are never comprehended. Conversations never over heard. Casual chit chat that gets shelved.
Briefly, I was frustrated. Then I shrugged, and entered Target.
