Random Kindness

A co-worker bought me a sewing machine today. I know, you are thinking “what an odd gift.” True enough. This particular co-worker is a newer dispatcher. One I’ve watched blossom from a greenhorn into a very competent caring dispatcher. She works very hard at her job and makes an effort to get it right the first time. How could I NOT like her? I’m always of the mind if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. I forgot who taught me that but it’s always stuck w/me.

This all came about while we were training for the new fire deployment. Lady N (not her real name, duh!) is a superb knitter and can often be found knitting a variety of items. Knitting takes too much patience in my opinion. An opinion I expressed to her but w/interest. During our down time, we’d often talk about our lives, tribulations, etc. I confided to her that I’d always wanted to learn how to sew. I talked about my earliest memories from childhood. My foster mother was an expert seamstress (spelling?) and made all my clothes up until she passed. She would often include me in her chores of finding threads, fabrics, etc. Very good memories from a time in my life where everything was as it should be. I used to spend hours watching my mother sew. I’ve always thought making your own clothes a very noble sort of thing to do. I know many folks consider it gay but hey, I am gay after all. (Ding Ding! Whatta we have for’em Johnny?)

So Lady N, out of the kindess of her heart, decided to buy me a machine so I could learn on my own. I was am really touched. She doesn’t owe me a thing and here she is buying me such a nice gift. I checked and it’s a pretty decent one too. Not decadent as that’s not her style however, a sturdy well made one that will see me thru my beginnings and well into expertise. (Yeah, I know it’s not good grammar, get over it!) When I asked her why, she said “because you have always been so supportive and kind to me w/o having a reason to be.” My response was well that’s just who I am. She said, “exactly!” Kindness really does go along way.

Tomorrow, I get to bring it home on muni. What? You think it will fit on the back of blue?