It will also have a place in my memory because of the story someone shared with me. She just spent an incredible week in Mexico, everything one could want from a vacation. Sitting on the plane, heading home, she noticed a young woman just within her field of vision, vigorously picking her nose and eating it. She said it was like the scene of a horrible car wreck, where she just could not take her eyes off of what was happening. Finally, after a few minutes, the young woman realized she was being watched, immediately stopped, and tried to pretend like it had not happened.
As nasty as this story is, it reminded me of my own story, from just a few months ago. I was at a conference, waiting to speak to a group of 60 or so high school students about ethical behavior. As I sat and waited, watching students slowly meander in and find seats, a young girl came over and sat right by me and offered to keep me company while we waited to start.
The girl was obviously a kid with special needs, including an unusually low IQ. As we talked, maybe three minutes into the conversation, with maybe 10 minutes left to go until my presentation started, she started picking her nose aggressively, and eating it, sitting maybe three feet from me. I seriously wanted to dry heave, and was not sure how to deal with the situation in a way that the girl's feelings would be protected, and so that others in the room -- also just feet away -- would not know what was happening. The end result was that I got to spend the next ten minutes trying to keep my lunch down, while she basically ate hers, right in front of me. Thank goodness my presentation was about to start, and her back was to the audience.
Today was the first time I had ever traded stories like this at a wedding. Hopefully it was also the last.
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