[ DISCLAIMER: Blunt Bites break away from my normal, detailed laugh-out-loud (right?) posts. They are like snapshots of a significant part of my life. Sometimes, they’re serious. Sometimes, they’re funny. But they’re always gonna be delicious. Yum. ]
It was my very first day of work, and you offered me some of your lunch even though you barely had enough to eat. Although it was a struggle to understand you through your thick accent, your laugh was desperately contagious. Your husband also worked at the same company. You would get so excited every time he walked by. I later discovered that you moved your family here from Poland to make a better life. You taught yourself English, graduated with honors, and moved to a tiny house down the street with your three kids and five relatives.
You always carried hot pink lipstick from the Dollar Store in your apron, and the only thing cheesier than your constant smile was the Harlequin romance novels you read every day on your break.
Five years later, I recognized your voice instantly when you called into the bank. I confirmed your name, but didn’t reveal who I was. I could sense that you had been crying. Your account was overdrawn because you had been trying to support your three kids on minimum wage ever since your husband and sisters had left for the grocery store and never returned. Two years had passed since then. You mentioned that you had just celebrated your 40th birthday by making a cake out of flour and water, then you started laughing just like you always did. As I was fighting back tears, I don’t know what alarmed me more: the tragedy of your circumstances or your positive attitude toward them. You responded, “As long as I still have a choice, I’d rather laugh than cry.”
Her name was Renee. I wish there were more of her in this world. She epitomized love. And she taught me more than high school.
My goodness, this was beautiful.
I like serious Blunt a lot. 🙂
😉 she pops out every once in awhile
Part of the invisible poor that survive around us daily. We all have strength, but I don’t think we all use it.
i know it, Val. My town is full of them. Huge poverty rates here, many tragic stories…
Wow… this little bit of something really makes me want to know this woman’s story. I NEED to know how it comes out in the end. . . beautiful, indeed. And tragic.
I wrote down her address, and I planned on going to her house the following week, to bring food and clothes for her kids, etc. I also wanted to try to help her sort out her finances and get herself on the right track as she had no friends or family in the area. However, my bank did massive layoffs that week and I wasn’t allowed to take any work notebooks with… Her last name was impossible to spell, and so I have no idea where she is now.
There is actually a serious side to Blunt? The girl never ceases to amaze!
you’ll be surprised at what can happen when i finally take my avacado face mask off!
I love this. Also, I thought the new thing at the top of your blog said “Are you obsessed with babies?” Ha.
haha! well, i just thought i’d address the question, since i get it all the time. it will save people writing an email.
Someone practicing her writing for the next Chicken Soup for the Soul. Now I am all broken up over here…haha
haha! you never know what i have up my sleeve bear! maybe i’ll be popping up in Cup of Comfort too!
It reminds me of an old friend. As it should. Nicely done.
welcome dbs!!! and thanks 😉
Your sincere and serious alter ego is hard to joke around with. Quit making me think so much! It hurts! (pssst – great post!)
i would quit you. or your brain.
so THERE!
Hey, I think that was my mom. Was she wearing a babushka? Withered face?
No, she’s fine. She makes some bad ass Polish sausage, too.
No, seriously. That’s sad.
no babushkas. but i immediately feel sorry for anyone wearing one of those.
i’d give your mom my extra apple, for sure.
um, you just made my eyeballs leak a little bit. thanks a lot.
(as an aside, i frakin’ love your photography. seriously.)
anyhow, people like that are awesome. world needs more of ’em. i hope good things came her way.
leaky eyeballs??? hmm. well, i had a leaky oil tank but the walmart auto department got me all sorted out.
you should look into that.
and thanks girl. my photos like you too.
“You responded, “As long as I still have a choice, I’d rather laugh than cry.”
OMG….I got totally teary-eyed when I read that!
BEEEEAUTIFUL story, girl!
“Her name was Renee. I wish there were more of her in this world. She epitomized love. And she taught me more than high school.”
I LOVE that!
X
yea. she really melted my heart. i actually got a lil teary eyed writing it today =( i wonder how she’s doing…
this is heart wrenching and all that jazz but seriously all I can think every time I’m on your blog is that you are so much more tech savvy than me to change things up as often as you do!
oh hannah… i just have too many random ideas running around in my head and i take them all out on this poor blog! it’s so tired of being made over!
She sounds absolutely amazing….I wish I could have met her. And I hope that she’s doing better….god bless her beautiful soul! Thanks for posting this blunt.
yea she was pretty amazing. Well, obviously i thought so – she has stuck in my mind for almost ten years.
What a beautiful and heartbreaking story. My boss is looking at me funny as I sit here a little weepy at my desk.
I think the world should remember that line, “I’d rather laugh than cry”
I think she hit the nail on the head with that one.
she did, my dear! if only it were that easy. i think it takes a special person to be able to execute that advice. i’m not one of them!
Oh man…
this is incredibly touching, B.D…
even for me. And I’m made out of stone (and cola, I guess… just to be honest).
well thanks… please don’t cry and melt off any of your tattoos. that would be tragic
Errmm, what wars are you talkng about?
I’m confused about the timelime.
Oh well, I guess bad things happen to people (including reading skills, it seems). I hope you didn’t dish out a subprime loan to her that day.
Love and awareness; the constant tightrope.
🙁 sads.
Could you not have just added cash to her account? You know, seeing as though they were making people unemployed!? It’s not all about ethics you know!
pretty sure tampering with an account, for either good or bad purposes is a felony.
so then, i’d of not only been out of a job but i’d be in the slammer.
Sometimes, when I feel like I am just *sooooo stressed out* – I am reminded about how good I have it and that I need to quit my bitching.
Serious Blunty. Who knew. Thanks, love.
i know right?? and yea… i’m full of surprises 😉
perhaps an anonymous donation could be left on her doorstop. do you know where she is now?
nope. i was let go from the bank a week after that. i had written down her address in one of my notebooks, but they wouldn’t let me take it with. … i was gonna visit her and bring some food, etc.
her last name was crazy unpronounceable.. so i haven’t been able to locate her. ;(
or even her doorstEp
Every one has said it already but yes, heartbreaking but beautiful story. And imagine the chance of you getting hear her again. Too bad about not being able to get her name and stuff.
Anyone who rocks dollar store hot pink lipstick has my respect.
That was a beautiful and emotional story. How in the world do some people survive their tragedies in life and keep on smiling? I just might start carrying a tube of pink lipstick.
Blunty, you do serious quite well.
You do serious better than I do funny. Good stuff, love.
That was a very nice post. And there are more people out there like her than we know or would like to believe. And yes, sometimes on the verge of tears, laughter is the only solution.
I hope you had a nice weekend.