I was on my way home from a job interview once and pulled over to eat
at a “Mystery Restaurant”. This was just after the Kindle had come out, but
before they had started blanketing the media with ads for them, so not
many people knew what they looked like; I had just gotten one for my
birthday, and since I was alone and I like to read while I eat, I
brought it into the restaurant with me. All the wait staff were really
nice to me — it was about 3pm and there was almost no one else in the
restaurant — and I thought they were just happy to finally have
something to do. It cheered me up, because I thought my interview
hadn’t gone well. I sat at my table alone and ate my grilled cheese
sandwich (yum) while my Kindle was propped up on the table in front of
me in its leather case that stands up by itself. As I’m finishing my
meal, I hear a startled “Oh!” from behind me, and turn to see my
waitress staring at my Kindle.
“It’s a book!” she said in surprise. “I thought — well,” she lowered
her voice to a tone of sympathy, “I thought it was a picture of your
family.”
All of a sudden I understood why she’d been so sweetly solicitous. She
thought I was dressed nicely because I’d come from a funeral, and was
eating lunch in the company of my dead relatives!
I explained, and showed her the device, and a couple of other waiters
came over to examine it, and we all had a good laugh about the
misunderstanding.
To this day, it still makes me smile when I think of it — and if I
HAD actually been grieving, I’m sure their touching attention would
have been just as welcome!
- Claire
