Magic shoes
"Are you a stepper?"
Standing in front of the ticket dispensing machine, I turned my head to the left just slightly enough to see past the tip of my nose. At 7:30 in the morning, it takes extra effort to be social and I had to see who it was first. It was the CTA attendant, out of his booth to help customers, clad in full CTA regalia (including winter hat with furry ear flaps). He smiled eagerly. I tried decide if I was alert enough to be perky and friendly.
"No," I laughed. "Do I look like a stepper?"
"Yeah... yeah you do! Those shoes are sweet."
I laughed again as I tried to jam my money into the machine so that I could pass through the gates to make my way up the train. The machine wasn't having it. It kept spitting my wrinkled dollar back out, almost as if it were a child wagging its tongue at me.
"Grrrr." I tried another dollar, to the same result.
"Won't it take it?" he asked. "Here, I'll help." He gently took the dollar from my hand and tried again. It still didn't work.
"Oh well," I said. "I have enough to get down into the city at least." I pressed the button to get my card back.
"Yeah, you can get one way," he said. "And those are some sweet steppin' shoes. Those are NICE."
I lauged again. "I hope they're luck shoes," I said, smiling.
"What, you goin to an interview?" he asked, handing me my dollar and card back.
"Yup," I said, trying to shove the money back into my wallet.
"Well, you've already GOT the job. Just go in there just like that and you've GOT it." Before I realized what was happening, he was swiping his CTA card over the machine to let me pass through. I pushed my way through the turnstile, laughing.
"I sure hope so!" I said, turning back to him as I headed toward the stairs.
"That smile, right there, that smile is all you need and you've already got it! You'll come back when you're done and tell me you got it."
I laughed again and waved, heading for the platform to wait for the train. Secretly, I was wishing that life really could be that simple. That all you need is a smile. And maybe a pair of magic shoes.
Standing in front of the ticket dispensing machine, I turned my head to the left just slightly enough to see past the tip of my nose. At 7:30 in the morning, it takes extra effort to be social and I had to see who it was first. It was the CTA attendant, out of his booth to help customers, clad in full CTA regalia (including winter hat with furry ear flaps). He smiled eagerly. I tried decide if I was alert enough to be perky and friendly.
"No," I laughed. "Do I look like a stepper?"
"Yeah... yeah you do! Those shoes are sweet."
I laughed again as I tried to jam my money into the machine so that I could pass through the gates to make my way up the train. The machine wasn't having it. It kept spitting my wrinkled dollar back out, almost as if it were a child wagging its tongue at me.
"Grrrr." I tried another dollar, to the same result.
"Won't it take it?" he asked. "Here, I'll help." He gently took the dollar from my hand and tried again. It still didn't work.
"Oh well," I said. "I have enough to get down into the city at least." I pressed the button to get my card back.
"Yeah, you can get one way," he said. "And those are some sweet steppin' shoes. Those are NICE."
I lauged again. "I hope they're luck shoes," I said, smiling.
"What, you goin to an interview?" he asked, handing me my dollar and card back.
"Yup," I said, trying to shove the money back into my wallet.
"Well, you've already GOT the job. Just go in there just like that and you've GOT it." Before I realized what was happening, he was swiping his CTA card over the machine to let me pass through. I pushed my way through the turnstile, laughing.
"I sure hope so!" I said, turning back to him as I headed toward the stairs.
"That smile, right there, that smile is all you need and you've already got it! You'll come back when you're done and tell me you got it."
I laughed again and waved, heading for the platform to wait for the train. Secretly, I was wishing that life really could be that simple. That all you need is a smile. And maybe a pair of magic shoes.
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