As I mentioned this morning, took in the Kelly Clarkson concert last night. It was pretty awesome. She's as good live as she sounds on the radio, if not better. She's also got the most adorable personality -- I had no idea.
Not only that, but she brought out Blake Shelton (yes, I took video - click his name), Reba McIntire, Tamyra Grey (yes, from Season 1 of Idol!) and Michelle Branch (They covered a Wreckers song I love - so rad)!
When I got to my car after the concert, I noticed the person who had parked beside me on the passenger side was awfully close. When she and her daughter walked up, my heart sank.
The mother looked at her daughter with an annoyed sigh and said "just wait."
You see, the daughter was too heavyset to fit into the small space between her mother's car and mine. Her mother was going to have to pull out, or I would have to pull away, for her to be able to open her door and climb in.
Now in her defense, we were parked REALLY close (and that was her mom's fault -- she must have let her out before parking cause even a skinny girl wasn't opening that door). But she looked at me, embarassed and sad. I knew that look too well.
It quickly reminded me an incident outside of a supermarket when an asshole parked really close to my driver side, I went over to the car to leave and caught him. I asked politely if he would move his car. He said no and then added "you shouldn't be so fat."
I climbed into my car from the passenger side, crying, but not before I dragged my key over a small portion of his car. (Before you get appauled, it didn't even leave a mark. I was too gentle. But it made me feel better anyway.)
So when this girl looked at me, embarassed for herself, her size and her mother's snobbishness, we shared a whole conversation in one sheepish glance. My heart went out to her.
Her mother wasn't even moving yet. She was fixing her lipstick in the visor mirror while ger daughter stood in the middle of a downtown parking lot, hugging herself, and waiting.
I tossed my shit in the car and moved out of my space as quickly as I could (I was parked with my rear facing in so it was a quick pull-out), smiling at her, trying to telepathically let her know it's not always like this. It gets better. There is warmth out there. There are moments when she will somehow feel beautiful.
I don't know if she got all that from my encouraging smile but I hope so.
And I hope her mother got a speeding ticket on the way home. So there.