It started out innocently enough. It was a nice, warm day in Chicagoland. The kind of day where people are out walking their dogs and milling about. The kind of day that just doesn't happen often enough in that part of the country. I had been at the church helping out with a conference and the pastors wife asked if I could take their kids to McDonalds and home until she was finished. No problem. Something I had done many times before. I love those kids and for reasons not clear to anyone else, they love me.
So I went and got them and we began our journey across town to McDonalds to get them their feast for the night. As we were driving along, we began people watching and were starting to have fun making up personalities and converstations to go with the people we were passing. It put us in a giggly frame of mind for sure. At one point we passed a blind man walking down the sidewalk with his red-tipped cane. We all drew quiet for a moment until we all remembered a sermon that a comedian had given at the church a couple of weeks prior. One of his "jokes" involved McDonalds and being able to ask for a Braille menu at the drive-thru. Hmmmm.
Ok, so I admit it, the kid in me came out and we decided to check out the sermons facts and see if it is true that you can ask for a Braille menu at the drive-thru. Since it was still a bit sunny out, I had my dark sunglasses on. They're really dark because the light hurts my eyes when I'm driving. We all figured that we'd just get a quick laugh and maybe an amusing look on the face of the worker and that would be it. None of us were ready for what transpired.
As it became our turn to pull up, I started lurching the car towards the window, um, perhaps a bit erratically for dramatic flair. Ryan, the oldest, was "directing" me from the back seat as to when to go and when to stop. Eric, the youngest, was by his side in the back playing his part to the hilt - like he was scared out of his wits. Renee, the middle child, was bravely up front with me. We finally got to the window (it was a slow night, no other customers behind us) and looking straight ahead, I asked THE question... "May I 'see' the Braille menu, please?" Without a second thought, the worker said "Sure, hold on a moment and we'll get it for you." "Thank-you"
She whispered to another worker who went off to find one, I assume. In the meantime, the kids were really starting to play this whole blind lady driving the kids around thing up. Renee blurted out something about a really pretty red car that passed by on the street when suddenly she "remembered" that I couldn't see it and began to tell me in great detail about the car. "Oh, Mrs. Peg, you'd love it if you could see it." Just like any other everday kind of conversation that you'd have while waiting. I gotta admit these kids were good. It was hard for me to keep a straight face but hey, we'd come this far, no backing down now.
The worker was listening to our conversations about things I couldn't see and by now had figured out that I was the one needing the Braille menu... or so she thought. Finally they produced said menu and I gotta tell you these workers had gotten some awesome ADA training. They were wonderful. Anyway, I get the menu and of course, I'm running my fingers over the little bumps and wondering in my head how awesome this tool really is. Eric pipes up from the back seat "Mrs. Peg, is the Happy Meal on there?" I get to one point on the Braille menu and tell him that yes indeed, it's on there. We handed back the menu and placed our order and thought that that was the end of it... Oh no... it gets better.
As I go to pay for it, I had Renee dig the money out of my purse and I just stuck my hand out the window, of course just a tad bit out of the reach of the worker. She didn't say a word. The kids all started directing me on which way to move my hands so that the worker could take the money. This took a while because I just kept missing her hand "by that much". Getting the change back wasn't any easier but mercifully neither of us dropped a dime. Then, Ryan in an animated, swinging his arms like he's directing traffic kind of way, "helped" me get to the next window. Lurch by winding lurch. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw two workers heads poking out - watching us make our way, painstakingly, to the next window.... not a smile on their faces. That's when the lightbulb clicked on in my brain... they weren't seeing this as a joke. Hmmm.
When we got to the next window, the assistant manager was there handing us our food and drinks. I played the same "missed it by that much" game with her until finally all the bags were passed over. I just kept handing them off to the kids because we weren't going to eat anything until we got back to their house anyway. Well, like most McDonalds drive-thrus, there was a turn at the end. With Ryan directing the way, we lurched out of there as we came in and finally, slowly, lurchingly, made the turn. As we were lurching along, I saw in the rearview mirror no less than six heads poking out of both windows watching us.
I managed to keep a straight face, as did the kids, until we made that turn and got out of their line of sight. Then I had to pull over because we all busted up laughing. I was laughing so hard, I thought for sure I was going to pee in my pants. I finally managed to compose myself after a few minutes and we drove home. Of course, we discussed it all the way there and it had been mentioned that we were surprised that none of them called the police, concerned that there was a blind woman driving with three kids in the car.
Once we got home and started rationing out the food, we quickly realized that we got way more food than we had ordered... like over $7 more in food. There were extra fries, nuggets and even flurries. The kids were thrilled. I felt guilty. Being that I didn't want to hustle them back into the car and make the trek back to McDonalds, I figured I'd just go in the next day and pay for the items that we got erroneously, and just enjoy the rest of the night with the kids. I gotta tell you, they were very good actors. Not that I was really surprised but they held the characters through the whole ordeal without so much as even smirking, which helped me do the same. We had a great night. It was a night I will always hold dear in my heart. Not that we didn't have a whole lot of other times that we had a ton of fun, but this one was super special.
The next day I went to McDonalds to speak with the manager and to pay for the extra food. I had a list of all the things we got "extra." I started to explain the situation to her and at first she thought I was complaining about the way that they handled me being blind. Um, I wasn't wearing my sunglasses at the time or even acting blind, but in hindsight, I could see where she got that idea - sort of. Anyway, I told her the whole story and assured her that her employees handled the situation with the utmost respect for the disability, that I really didn't have by the way. She wouldn't take my money. Once it sunk in that the whole thing was a joke based on a sermon, she finally saw the light and started laughing. She said that it made her day and was worth the $7 and something. Guess she had been having a few rough days of complaints in a row and that's why she thought at first that she was dealing with yet another one. I kept trying to pay but she just wouldn't take it. I did feel good that it made her day and that she was starting this new day out smiling and not frustrated from complaints. Go God!
So then I went on to work at the conference that was continuing at the church. Turns out that the conference speaker, Dr. Henry Malone, was staying at the pastors house and of course, heard the whole story from the kids before they went to bed. As we were gathered around the table for a leaders luncheon that he invited me to, he brought up the subject and had me share what had transpired. Reluctantly I did, but most people got a good chuckle out of it. Henry sure did, even more so than when the kids had told him I guess.
Someone in the group made the comment that I was teaching the pastors kids how to lie. Ouch! Never thought of it that way. Certainly wasn't my heart. I made sure that later on I did explain to the kids that I wasn't condoning lying under any circumstances, etc. Even apologized to the pastor, who incidently, did not take it that way. He knew my heart would never be to teach those kids, or any kids, anything of the sort. It was just a memory-making good time. A time that the kids and I will still bring up now and then and smile, even though two of them are out of school and the youngest is in high school... a drama student by the way and a very good one at that. No surprise on my part. The other two are using their God-given talents in serving the Kingdom as well.
I sit here and I smile when I think back on that memory. A simple "joke" in a sermon, carried out in real day life. A memory-maker for sure. I have a storehouse of memories of similar experiences of laughter and fun with many other people locked away in the recesses of my mind and each day I want to add to their numbers. Every day I wake up and I ask God, how are WE going to laugh today? What everyday thing are you going to let me see in a way that will bring a smile to my face and little happy flutter to my heart? And He does not disappoint. Try it. Ask Him to do the same for you and He will. Look for those memory-makers and take advantage of them.
Ryan, Renee and Eric, you all know that I love you with all of my heart. I look at the wonderful young adults that you have grown up to be and my heart fills with pride and happiness that I got to know you and have quality time with you through the years. Keep on laughing, keep on working for God's Kingdom advancement, and know that Mrs. Peg will be here for you always. I miss you but I know that one day we'll meet again and we'll sit down to eat and laugh at a memory that I, for one, will hold dear forever.
Go out and laugh today. Let God bring a smile to your face and if at all possible, bring one out on someone else's. It's rewarding, it's fun, it's memory-making, and it's a wonderful feeling. It's Kingdom-advancing. Um, just don't torture the local McDonalds... they really do have Braille menus at the drive-thru, trust me... let God show you a memory-maker of your own. Have a blessed day!
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