Short Self, Walk Tall

I'm coming to the realization that I have a lot more balls than I thought. Not in the literal sense (that would be a strange realization, now wouldn't it?), but more in the sense that I am the harsh, loud person amongst the backdrop of most people.

For example, I was on the bus to work last week. 8.30am as always, same bus driver that I have every day, same route, same bushes, same everything. This time, there was construction immediately before my stop. Even though I had pulled the little ding string, even though I get off at this stop in front of the bank every day dressed as a banker, the driver forgets about the ding and the everyday stop and drives quickly past. I guess the construction was just too much change. Instead of walking up to the driver and asking politely to stop, or waiting until he realizes that he's made the mistake, my brain says "You'll have to walk all that way!" forcing my mouth to blurt out "Stop, please." The people in front of me jumped, and the bus driver apologized. I was very kind getting off, smiled, the whole nine yards, so it wouldn't have remained negative in his mind (I don't think). It was just that I looked the part of a business professional, and I commanded the stop of that bus. It might sound silly but it was a good thing, as Martha Stewart said pre-jail, and it felt good to be decisive enough to stop a bus simply with my voice. (That phrase makes me sound like a super-hero!)

Today, I was chatting with a co-worker after work and she was asking me where I'll be moving in the fall, to which I replied I was looking at a place on Livingstone. For those of you who are St. John's illiterate, Livingstone is very downtown, and is rougher that some streets, but not downtown Detroit or crackwhores or anything like that. She, in her best middle-aged, suburban mom voice says "Oh. Well I would never live on Livingstone. Why wouldn't you want to live within walking distance of the school?" Now, that's a great idea, but then I'd have to bus downtown to bars, cafes, any time I wanted to go downtown, so it's the same difference, only living downtown has a fun, young-but-hip feel to it, whereas near campus has a young-chugging-beer feel. The latter is definitely not as appealing. Long story short, she didn't understand in the least, saying "I wouldn't even walk in that area. Would you?" I replied, "Hunny," (yes I said hunny), "I'm from Ontario. Stuff downtown St. John's doesn't scare me in the least. I may be little (the same size as she is), but I walk tall." She just smiled, almost a grimace, and changed the subject. I think she was a little intimidated/doubtful, but I'm fine with that. It's not my problem if she's short and walks it. I walk tall. And I'm confident enough to say, aloud, something as lame as "I walk tall." Maybe I'm related to The Rock?

--Jam