One of the last minute things Leftwing Idiot and I had to do before Christmas was go to the chemist to pick up my prescription so I have enough medication for the holidays.

Normally the surgery send my prescription direct to the pharmacist to make things easier, but this time there’d been some miscommunication between the two which meant I had to wait in the chemist’s much longer than I’d expected.

The chemist was very busy and I wasn’t the only person waiting. Though it’s only a small shop, there’s a huddled row of four chairs for people waiting to get prescriptions. I sat on one, and three women sat in the others.

I could sense the women were unnerved by my tics and didn’t know what to make of me. After about ten minutes one of them beckoned to Leftwing Idiot. She asked him in a hushed voice, but still completely audible to me, “Is she in pain when she makes that noise?” Leftwing Idiot said she could ask me. I smiled and explained that the tics were mostly just uncomfortable. Like when I explain to children, I compared it to the sensation of trying not to sneeze or blink.

The atmosphere in the tiny shop eased immediately. The women, who’d been scowling before, were now all smiles. It was a nice reminder of how easily and quickly attitudes can change for the better and how often this starts with someone being curious enough to ask a question.

As we left, everyone cheerfully wished us ‘Happy Christmas.’

Festive Outburst
“Fibre Optic Angel in Disguise”