(The World Really is This Small)
I work at the COVID testing site at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. No big deal, but extremely interesting. You see, the university is randomly testing all the students. There is no way around this. If they get notified they have been chosen for a random test, they have a limited amount of time to come to the center, get tested and have the results recorded so they may continue at the university. This means I get to see a LOT of kids!
First, I’ve absolutely given up on even attempting to spell any name at all! I also will never complain about having to spell my last name! I have absolutely no room to complain-NONE! So, here are several short bits about my experiences at the testing site and the unexpected connections I made wile working there.
- I am an Episcopalian. Our diocese was selling masks with the Episcopal shield on them. I didn’t have any masks yet and thought – five masks, five days of work, one weekly laundry day – I’m set!. Once I had put my mask on in the morning, I really didn’t think about what was on it or what message I was sending. Until…a young man at the site commented “I like your mask.” I thanked him and went on. Several days later, a young man commented that he didn’t recognize the symbol on my mask. I said it was the Episcopal shield and he burst into a smile and exclaimed, “I’m an Episcopalian! I didn’t recognize it without the colors.” The third encounter involving the mask with the Episcopal shield on it was a young man who recognized the symbol and was simply enamored with the Episcopal church and the music and the ritual. It was a pleasant conversation. Soon after that, the policy changed and we could not wear masks from home, we had to wear disposable masks provided by the university. Thus ended my stint as an unexpected evangelist.
- Trans kids in college. I know the day is coming where all the little details of transitioning will be worked out and the process will be much more smooth than it is today. Watching these kids transition at college is sometimes painful in terms of an empathetic sense. We have to have their name; both to check off the appointment list and to attach to their test sample. One trans female asked which name she should use and then quickly answered her own question saying, “the one the insurance company recognizes.” Unfortunately this was indeed what we agreed on and she had to use her “dead” name. Its just frustrating! But I’m Hopeful.
- A trans female came through a handful of times and it was a joy to watch the transition. In the beginning she was not very experienced with make-up. But she endured, and over the months at school her make-up became more natural. As the hormones she was taking became leveled out, she became more comfortable in her “new” skin. She was very attractive and had a stunning purse! I was glad that I got to see her later into her transition and tell her how wonderful she looked.
- Because there was often down time between appointments throughout the day, I always had some kind of knitting project with me. Yes, there are college students both male and female who knit and crochet and I had several wonderful, albeit short conversations throughout the semester. There was the girl with the crocheted frog hat complete with bulging eyes. There was the girl with a big, bright sweater made up of knitted squares then put together to make a stunning oversized sweater. Admittedly, my favorite was a young man who was wearing a Dr. Who scarf that he had knit for himself. It was a stunning piece and we had a great discussion about being afraid to use “good” yarns. Hopefully, I’ll run into him again this year and I can give him some of my “good” yarn so he can try it out and hopefully fall in love.
- One very slow day a young man came in wearing a beautiful Greatful Dead t-shirt. I commented that I liked it and the conversation began. He asked if I had ever seen them and I proudly replied, “several times.” He was impressed-and I was pretty proud! Then I started mentioning other bands and again, I was proud that the kid was impressed that a woman of my age was “cool” enough to like some of the same music he did. He asked about my knitting that was sitting there and somehow I ended up saying yes, I would knit him a chess board. Unfortunately, I couldn’t reach him again and lost contact before I could get the board to him. Hopefully he is back at Miami this year and I can give him the chess board I knit for him.
- I checked in the son of a friend I have known since grade school. I not only recognized his name but also what he looked like due to many proud mom posts on Facebook. The poor kid was so confused when I asked him if Patricia was his mother and to tell her Amy said “hello.”
- The best one by far was when a young girl with short, pink hair came through. She gave me her last name and it was an unusual last name that I’m sure anyone with that last name had to be related. So, I asked, “are you related to anyone named Jeff?” As only a college kid could, she answered, “like my DAD?” I swear I could feel my hair turning white! You see, Jeff was my youngest brother’s college buddy at Ohio University. My brother is six years younger than I. I’m sure I freaked out just a little bit-and asked her dad to tell her that Christian’s sister said “hello.” Immediately, she texted her dad and I called my brother-who had already received a text from his buddy! Folks, yes, the world really is that small-and somehow on some level, we are all connected! Peace, Love, Knitting, Amy
My Patio 