inspired by the smiling woman at the TDcanadatrust bank at CAMH
8 min, 2.12.13 @ Starbucks, Queen + Ossington, TO
She always smiles and says hello to the Security Guard when she goes in to use the ATM. She tries to remember to look him in the eye and acknowledge his humanity. She does it more for herself. She read it’s empowering to look people dead in the eye and she’s started by experimenting with the immigrant community. She knows it’s wrong to just call him Indian, he could be Sri Lankan or Pakistani or Tamil but she can’t remember any more of the different identities in that area of the world. She only reads about them in the newspaper but she doesn’t really understand how it’s all connected. In a pinch she can just say South Asian.
She angles herself to block the pin pad with her body. She wonders if the Guard thinks she’s doing it because of him. She does it regardless of who’s around, it’s just good pin pad habit. He must know she’s not suspicious of him, she’s always so kind to him. She counts the twenties, the new ones stick even more than the old ones, and they never really break in because of the plastic-y coating. She doesn’t like that transactions take longer, it increases her vulnerability. She turns and pushes her wallet deep into her pocket and very deliberately smiles and says thank you to the man she’s never said more than three words to.
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