Tuesday, January 5, 2010

It Figures...

Miss Norma is an elegant, Southern gentlewoman who lives in my neighborhood and heads our Forsythia Club. At just about 80 yrs of age, she is a little dynamo; she and her husband Colonel Bill (A true, blue Kentucky Colonel) took a cotton to me almost since the day I moved here, most likely because I had been a lead teacher for Head Start and the Colonel had been commissioned to organize Head Start in this area.

Unfortunately, we lost Bill a few months ago, a great loss to the world. He was a genuine gentleman and we all loved him. I have not seen Miss Norma much at all, but when I have seen her in passing, maybe going by in her car or working in her yard, she's looked sad, of course, but seemed to be coping quite well.

Today, I ws standing at the door to my book store, greeting customers, when a little elegant Southern gentlewoman entered.

"Oh my goodness, it's Miss Norma!" I thought to myself.."she looks so thin."

She looked at me and smiled. I walked over to her, wrapped my arms around her slender body and hugged her. I did not want to let her go and she hugged me back. We stood there hugging away for a few minutes before I let go.

She stood there and stared at me.

"You DO look somewhat familiar.." she said.

And then realized..it was not Miss Norma. In fact, it was nobody I had ever seen before.

Boy, did I ever feel like an idiot.

'UM, ma'am, where do you live?" I asked, nervously.

She named a town about an hour up the road.

Nope, definitely not Miss Norma.

She stood there and smiled at me (thank God!). I explained I thought she was someone else and told her I was sorry. She patted my arm.

"It's okay, honey. Maybe we'll end up best friends.."

Unfortunately, a couple of our regulars witnessed this all and word spread quickly of my stupid move.

The ribbing has already begun and it'll be a long time before I live this down.

8 comments:

  1. Har! Laugh about it. Maybe you HAVE found a new best friend.

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  2. have been there and done that... LOL...But elderly peeps need hugs too...LOL..

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  3. "Oh my goodness, it's Miss Norma!"

    Ah, when I first read that I thought it said, "Oh my goodness, it's Miss Normal!"

    Whatever in the hell that is, ha ha ha ha

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  4. Once word gets around there'll be queues of old ladies from the book store all the way down the road!!!!

    That can be your car sticker this year 'Hug a Granny'....;-)

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  5. HUG A GRANNY.. I love it! of course, lets not leave grandpa out. Might as well include the lecherous old coots, too...

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  6. Are you inferring that I'm a lecherous old coot?

    Carry on then.

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  7. Oh that is so so funny! And so is "hug a granny"!

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  8. its funny but it is soooo ME!

    Billy, i would never insinuate that you're a lecherous old coot.
    (Are you a lecherous old coot? I lkinda ike lecherous old coots..)
    (:

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Go ahead, you can do it! Just whistle if you want me. You know how to whistle, don't you? You just put your lips together and BLOW....

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