Watch Your Words

The other morning I stopped at the local gas station to get myself a fountain Pepsi. The workers there and I are familiar, but nothing deeper than a gas station/customer kind of relationship. As I was filling up my cup, one of the workers looked at me and asked if I was having another?

Another what? I thought. Another drink? Is my caffeine addiction that well known?

And then I saw her look at my stomach and it clicked. This is the same gas station at which I sometimes stopped during my last pregnancy.--Yes for Pepsi. Don't judge. But back to the story at hand.--Oh, O.K. She thinks I'm pregnant again. Awkward.

No, I answered as politely as I could, expecting a profuse apology in reply. Nope. Crickets. All righty then. I grabbed my drink and beelined for the register.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It's not the first time I've had someone say something inappropriate to me. And I'm quite certain it won't be the last. It happens all the time concerning my MS. Usually I can roll with it. But there are sometimes I wish people would stop and take a moment to think before they speak.

Here are just some of the things I've had said to me:

* "At least it's not cancer." No. No, it's not. And for that I'm grateful. But it still sucks.

* "Must be nice to be able to take a nap during the day." I wish I didn't have to. But, having said that, maybe you should try it. Doctors recommend it.

* "You don't look sick." Why thank you. I feel like shit.

* "There is a reason for this." Really? If you find out what that is, could you please share it with me? Because so far I've gotten no message from God.

There are many more, but I won't bore you. So instead, I leave you with this: Please don't start any rumors. I'm not pregnant, apparently just fat. Thanks for noticing, Mrs. Gas Station Store worker. It certainly made my day. Not.