This past week I was at my Doctor getting a normal check up. When I walked in I found out that the lady who scheduled my appointment didn't do it right so there was apparently no such appointment in the system. After much deliberation they finally fixed the issue, but I ended up having to wait an extra hour to see the doctor.
As I'm sitting there, watching the same health warnings over and over again on the screen, this lady with her face covered comes in. I'm thinking to myself how annoyed I am to be waiting there an extra 40 minutes, thus far, due to something that wasn't my fault. I even had the confirmation card to say I made an appointment. This totally wasn't my doing. Basically I'm basking angrily in the fact I'm, healthily, sitting there waiting on the doctor.
But to get back to my point, it's about the lady. I never caught her name. She never thought to give it. I never thought to ask. So she's forever known in my memories as "the lady."Anyway, she walks in, face covered with a wash clothe, and she has DARK sunglasses on. She was creeping the people around me out, but I was intrigued. I wanted to know about this lady. Found out, from overhearing her talking with the receptionist, that she had a MASSIVE migraine. Her meds were on back order until October 10th. She's in severe pain and has no choice but to come to her doctor in hopes of getting an appointment for that day, eventually. Yet, I'm painlessly sitting there, mad at the receptionist for getting my appointment wrong. Vanity of vanities much?
I was sitting with my back to the only window on that floor. I offer the lady my seat so she doesn't have to look directly into the light. She kindly takes my offer and we start a conversation. She tells me her son, who is 18, dropped her off because she couldn't drive. She has two son's. The oldest one has a son of his own. He's 16 months old. I'm a nanny so of course this strikes up a good conversation.
She asks me why I'm there. I tell her my whole story of getting a physical. Which then leads to our lives. She tells me she's worked with disabled people in her community for years. I tell her I want to see the sex trade stopped and I'm going to fight to make it happen. I tell her all about this blog, all about my plans, all about the sex trafficking industry. She's shocked, horrified, and marveled by the facts.
Understanding it was a active organization, but not understanding it was happening all around her in the very state she calls home. I educate her with the thought in mind that she could save her grandson from becoming a victim. Or simple spread the word and educate someone she knows.
Shortly after discussing sex trafficking I get called back. She's still waiting there, in pain. I'm not even in this slightest bit of pain. The nurse thought she was my mother because we were just chatting away as if we weren't strangers, but friends. Technically I guess we are friends, everyone starts out as a stranger first.
The nurse takes me to the room where I wait for another 40 minutes for the doctor. All the while all I can think about is this woman. A woman who is in terrible pain yet laughed, joked, encouraged, and talked with me as if everything was normal. It was such a short meeting, but a very memorable one.
If I had gone in at 9:20, like I was supposed to, I would've never met this lady. Never educated her on sex trafficking, and never been influenced by her kindness and patients.
My main point you ask? Sometimes things don't go as we plan. Maybe they never do. But use the moments you are given to change someones life. Take seemingly bad moments and turn them in to life changing moments, if not for yourself then for someone else. Educate them on what you're passionate about and recruit someone new to stop the injustice you are fighting against. It's going to take us all working together to see this industry die. But we can do it!
Don't be afraid to talk with a stranger. They're just people who can become your future friends. We all love friends!
Sincerely someone who had a life changing moment,
Janice and Nicole
P.S. Have you been doing your sticky notes? Have you been educating those around you about the injustice of sex trafficking? Tell us all about it! We want to hear your stories. Email us at: askmeaboutsextrafficking@gmail.com
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