1/
#WhatsYourWhy: Day 7 of 7

Car Wash

Me: *approaching car* "Oh my bad. I thought they called for me."
Him: "Hey Doc . . . almost done." *looks over at co-worker* "She a doctor. Ask her."
Me: *turning to her* "Ask me what?"

She snapped him with a towel and scowled.

2/
Her: "Forget him! I ain't buggin' you out here."
Him: "Doc, you want air freshener today?"
Me: "Sure." *turning to her* "Happy to answer a question if you have one. But I also understand if you didn't want him putting you on blast."

*laughter*

She was limping.

3/
Me: "Something with your foot?"
Him: "See? Tell her!"

*pause*

Her: *shaking head* "My foot be killing me. 'Specially in the morning when I first get up."
Me: "Yeah?"
Her: "Yeah! Like that first step out my bed?" *squeezing her eyes* "Baybaaaay! You talkin' bout some pain?"

4/
The internist nerd in me rejoiced.

Me: "Where's the pain?"
Her: "Like. . .right on the bottom. . . ." *pointing at sole of shoe* ". . like in the middle of my arch."

Another internal pirouette.

Me: "I think I know what this is."
Her: "Do I need an x-ray?"
Me: "Nope."

5/
She looked relieved.

I gave her a brief elevator pitch on plantar fasciitis along with a few things she could do in the interim to feel better.

And that was that.

Him: "Okay. You all done, Doc."
Me: *sniffing* "Oh man. What's that fragrance?"

They both laughed.

6/
Her: "He on a kick with this 'Fruity Pebbles' scent."
Me: *sniffing* "I never thought I'd want my car to smell like cereal yet. . . ."
Him: "But it smell sooo good, right?" *looking at her* "See, hater?"

*laughter*

Me: "Hey--so have y'all thought about the #COVIDVaccine?"

7/
I got into the driver's seat and left the door ajar.

Him: "They made that thang so faaaast, doc. I don't know, mane."
Me: *nodding* "That's real. But you know they gave it to thousands of people in the research studies first."
Him: "But not no Black people!"

Hmmm.

8/
Me: "That's not true. I was in one of the studies and I'm Black."
Him: "Whaat? You let them folks inject you?"
Me: *laughing* "Why you say it like that?"
Him: *shaking head and waving a car forward*
Me: "Yup, I did. Just for you. But for real, it was on the up and up."

9/
I noticed she'd stop speaking.

Me: *to her* "What about you, sis?"
Her: "Nope. I put my trust in Jesus."
Me: "Hmm. Tell me what you mean."

She wiped my mirror with the towel in her hand. Even though it was already dry.

Her: "I feel like God ain't in this shot."

Ooph.

10/
He stopped to listen to what she was saying. It was clear he'd never heard her position on this.

Her: "I mean. . . God got a perfect system. I'm putting my trust in Him."
Me: "Gotcha. I can tell you been thinking about this."
Her: "I been praying. A lot."
Me: *listening*

11/
Me: "You know anyone who passed from #COVID?"

They both exchanged glances. It was clear that, whoever it was, was someone close to her.

Me: "Somebody close to you?"
Her: "Yeah.
Me: "I'm sorry."

She looked to see if another car was coming. Seeing none, she shifted away.

12/
I decided to back off.

Me: "Alright y'all." *reaching over to fasten seatbelt* "See y'all next time."

I pulled the door closed. But feeling unsettled by how I'd ended my exchange with her, I rolled down the window.

Suddenly, there was commotion.

Him: "Doooc!"

13/
Her: "Doooc!"

*both waving their hands*

Me: *hands splayed shrugging* "What?! What I do?"
Them: *in unison* "YOU ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOW!"
Me: "Oh hell! Y'all had me thinking I ran over somebody!"

*laughter*

Him: "You streaked up your window, doc! Just as bad!"

14/
Me: "Y'all know I ain't tripping on that."
Him: "You funny, doc."

I looked back at her.

Me: "Sis. . .I hope your foot feel better. And I'm sorry 'bout your loss."
Her: *nods* "'Preciate you. I'm'on' freeze me a water bottle soon as I get home."
Me: "That's what's up."

15/
Him: "Aye! So you really think I should get that shot?"
Me: *hands on steering wheel* "I do, friend."
Him: "I could get it Grady? Or where?"
Me: "Grady. Health Dept. Publix. A bunch of places."
Him: "Ok. But if I grow another head, I'ma come find you at Grady."

*laughter*

16/
Me: "Bet. I'll let y'all know when I have more info on where when I see y'all next time."

Y'all.
Not "you."

Me: "Hey sis? We can see about your foot at Grady, too."
Her: "Oooh! Okay."
Me: "See? For all you know God sent me here with my dirty car to talk to you today!"

17/
*laughter*

Her: "I'll probably take the shot. I might have some more questions, though."
Me: "And I might have more answers."

Me: *smiling behind mask*
Her: *smiling back behind mask*

I waved and pulled out onto the street.

And that was that.

18/
Concern about "warp speed."
An interpretation of faith and science as mutually exclusive.
+
Loss.

These were some their whys.

Theirs.

Ask.
Listen.
Wait.
Return.

A potential yes can be disguised as an unyielding no.
You just have to stick around long enough.

You know?

19/
Thanks.

I appreciate y'all engaging for these 7 days of #WhatsYourWhy. None of these encounters took long. And we can all do this. Any and all of us.

Yup.

There's no playbook.
There's no perfect script.
Just show up.

The secret sauce is humanism.

#BlackWhysMatter