Just Play Along

My children are collecting those LEGO Mini Figures – the ones that you buy with no idea which one you’re buying until you’ve bought it, and if it turns out to be one you’ve already bought then it’s too bad. We somehow managed 12 in a row before hitting upon duplicates – not bad! While in the Disney Store the other day I happily grabbed a handful of these packets ready to use as bribes back home. Now, the Disney Store is one of those rare shops that offers fantastically attentive customer service. The sales assistants are all pumped with some kind of magic fairy dust so that you find yourself confronted with someone who resembles a hopped up Snow White when you reach the checkout counter. On this particular day I was naïve enough to think that I could simply purchase the LEGO and be on my merry way without any happy clappy Disney-esque chit chat. However, picking up the packets of LEGO, the sales assistant proceeded to enquire which ones I still needed for my collection before embarking on a lengthy demonstration of how to feel the packets and guess which figure is in each one. This lady was really on a roll and was so enthusiastic that she somehow talked me into feeling the packets too. Standing there with my legs about to drop off, this task was made even more laborious and, indeed, futile, by the fact that I can’t even feel my fingers. So, I stood there “feeling” these bloomin’ packets while politely waving my credit card in a lame attempt to hurry her along.

As always in situations such as this, there arises a predicament whereby you have to decide to either play along or disclose your crazy-ass MS symptoms and face the inevitable bafflement that follows. I nearly always opt to play along, it’s so much easier!

This kind of thing happens all the time. Speaking to an elderly lady about the range of shows we have at our local theatre, I mentioned how grateful I am not to have to travel to London to see top shows. The lady started to list all the shows she has seen in the West End before adding that she gets too tired nowadays, “but, it’s alright for you, you’re young!” Play along, just play along, I told myself, as I nodded my agreement.

Again, I found myself chatting to a group of mums at a kid’s party. The discussion revolved around how exhausting it is having children. On realising that I have 3 kiddiewinks but unaware of my MS, they all gasped in horror and asked, “How do you do it?! It must be so tiring!” Mmmmm, I nodded, smiling meekly as I played along.

Play along, just play along.