[Blindtlk] Needing Feedback and Support

[Gary Wunder]

I like this post about people who are affirming to everyone.  Since my last
post told a story about a driver who offended me, I should be fair and tell
a story about a driver who should have been offended at my conduct.  Several
years ago a friend of mine, learning that I was paying a fairly high rate to
go to and from work, decided that she would offer me a ride home.  I thanked
her, thinking this would be a one time deal, and it turned out that we rode
together for several years.  She wouldn't take a dime.  Once in a great
while she would take a lunch or some kind of gift, but she really did not
want us to have anything like a paid relationship based on transportation.
In her mind I was right on her way, she was glad to help.

About a week into our transportation arrangement, I noticed that she would
quickly jump in her car, slide over, and open my door.  That bothered me
since I was perfectly capable of opening the door myself.  Because she was
so friendly in offering me a ride, I wanted to deal with this in a tactful
way but wasn't quite sure how to do it.  The longer I thought, the longer
this went on, and it's a little like not knowing someone's name: if you ask
right off the bat who it is, you know, but after you've talked with them for
five or 10 minutes, it's awfully difficult to admit this person is a
stranger to you.

It turns out that on this particular truck, there was no way for her to
unlock the door short of actually using the door handle.  She was only doing
for me what she would do for any passenger in her vehicle.  I put a lot of
mental energy into worrying about an issue which wasn't an issue at all.  I
took a slight where none was intended or given.