Gee, Aren't You "Special"?

Today I had to take my oldest daughter to a doctor's appointment up in Marietta, GA. She was not a happy camper. It was pouring down rain. Hoping to cheer up Little Miss Gloomy, I treated her to lunch at Marietta's legendary Big Chicken restaurant.

She was in a bad mood, I was too. I had made the mistake of running this morning, and then it rained. For some reason, rain and running make the six bones I broke in my left leg in the Great Parachute Mishap of 1978 hurt like crazy, and I limp very noticeably when that happens.

While we were eating, a long white bus pulled into the parking lot and about 20 to 25 special needs people entered the restaurant, along with about a dozen attendants. They were having the BEST time, they were in awe of being inside the Big Chicken!! It was great seeing a group of people enjoying themselves like they were, and they all settled down into seats around us.

Well, my daughter wanted a refill on her drink so like a good father I took her empty cup and began limping up to the Coke machine for a refill. I had taken about five or six steps when I felt someone grab me gently but firmly by the right elbow. It was one of the attendants for the special needs group. He looked at me, smiled and said "We're going to sit over here today, okay?"

Okay?

Then in one cosmic cataclysmic moment we looked at each other and our eyes simultaneously widened as we both realized.....

Him: Oh my God, this limping guy is NOT IN OUR GROUP!
Me: Oh my God, this guy thinks I'm IN HIS GROUP!

He turned red, I turned red and we both laughed, embarassed...

....but not as hard as my daughter, who had watched the situation unfold.

I brought back her refilled drink, and she chuckled "Gee, Dad, aren't YOU 'special'"?

P.S. I took that picture above with my cell phone in the driving rain as we were leaving the restaurant and almost got run over in the parking lot....