By MAGGIE ISHINO
Waiting for and/or riding the elevator can be a diversion as indicated by the following:
1. In a medical building, I was waiting for an elevator on the fourth floor to go UP. A man was also waiting. He said, “Are you going up?” “Yes,” I said, “and I hope I go up when I die, too.” He laughingly said, “You will.”
2. There were only a man and I in the elevator. I complimented him on his tie. He broke into a wide smile and said, “I’m so glad you said that. My kids gave the tie to me for Father’s Day and I couldn’t make up my mind whether I liked it or not. You convinced me to like it.”
3. An orderly was holding the handle of a gurney, which had a blanket, sheets and pillow inside. One lady remarked, “The patient looks fine,” which brought laughter to the other three, as well as the orderly, in the elevator.
4. When I got into an elevator, there was a man who was rather large standing near the corner wall. He was over 6 feet tall and I am sure weighed over 180 pounds. He looked as if he was going to sneeze and my body sort of cringed. He did sneeze, but it was just a quiet “choo.” He looked at me and said, “Fooled you, didn’t I?” I laughed because I assumed a big man like him would really give a loud sneeze but was grateful he did not.
5. On the seventh floor, a lady entered an elevator pushing a stroller, carrying a little girl about 2 years old. As they started to get off at the third floor, the little girl turned her head toward me, smiled and waved, “Goodbye.” It really brought on a smile because it was so unexpected. Of course, I waved back and smiled at her and her mother.
6l I was walking toward an elevator in the lobby when a man walked towards me. He saw me walking slowly with a cane, turned around and went back to where the elevator was, pushed “UP” and held the door open for me to get into the elevator. I thanked him for his kindness. He smiled and went on his way. I thought to myself, “He must have a GOOD mother and is kind to his wife, and there ARE good people in this world.”
7. A woman got on an elevator while I was standing by the floor button indicator by the door and she remarked, “I can’t remember which button to push when I want to go to the garage or the first floor.” I said, “The button with a star on it is always the first floor.” She said, “Oh, thank you. I’ll remember that.”
8. A lady got on an elevator holding something wrapped in a blanket. At first I thought it was a baby when out poked the head of an adorable Chihuahua dog who looked right at me and made me laugh. I wondered why she would bring a dog into a medical building. While I was thinking this, she said, “I take my little Chica everywhere I go.”
9. A couple got on the elevator with a boy and a little a girl. When the elevator started to go up, the little girl began to cry since the movement frightened her. The mother picked up the crying child. It is difficult to be in an elevator when something like this happens because one is in ”close” quarters. I was glad that they only rode two floors.
10.Two women got on the elevator and began talking incessantly, riding for four floors. I thought how inconsiderate these two were. They were shamelessly carrying on a conversation, forgetting that every word could be heard.
Comment: One thing about the elevator, it has its ups and downs and once in a while, “jerks” along the way, if you know what I mean.
Amen and happy landing.
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Maggie Ishino is a Rafu typist and can be reached at mishino@rafu.com. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.