Nothing speaks “humiliation” like throwing up up on one's shirt, coat, bag and pants while on a moving bus. Nothing adds insult to such injury like having to use the brand new scarf, a shower gift sent all the way from a friend in Germany, to clean oneself up.
And nothing makes a person question the general humanity of the population like listening to the witnesses of my unfortunate display of stomach histrionics make fun of me, without a single soul taking two seconds to ask if I was OK.
It is not as if I feel like I'm entitled to any sympathy. I just can't help but wonder what is wrong with the world that half a busload of grown adults (not teenagers, not college students) can watch a woman throw up all over herself, then do her damnedest to clean herself and her surroundings up while crying so hard she can not breathe and not only not feel the slightest bit of pity but find it entertaining to audibly and clearly make fun of her.
Suffice to say, I checked in with my boss and went home for the day. I'm not proud that I completely lost my composure acted the classic stereotype of a woman in late pregnancy. But I could not face dealing with the world yesterday after what happened on the bus.
People really, really suck sometimes.
I had a day in 2005 (the Dark Time) when I cried on the Metro. I'm not sure what I would have done if someone had done something nice, but the reaction was to avoid. I'm sorry that people responded the same way (or worse) to you being ill. Don't worry about your dignity. You're pregnant and exhausted. You get a bye. Your fellow bus riders? Pond scum. Feel better.
ReplyDeleteOh, Jen, I'm so sorry you had that experience. People do suck. You would never let that happen to someone else. I hope the scarf is cleanable?
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