r/MadeMeSmile • u/kittenofd00m • 18h ago
I saw a Coke melt fear today...
I went back to my hometown to help a friend and take my mother to visit her best friend - who she hasn't seen in months.
We were getting ready to leave when we stored by a convenience store to grab a local paper before returning home.
[WARNING: My use of pronouns and my description of these events may trigger some of you. I don't know the the rules about this and I am just writing this as it occurred to me and as it makes sense to most of the people that I know. None of this is meant to be done incorrectly, although it most certainly will be. And, if I know the internet, it will certainly be perceived as rude or worse by some. Do me a favor and know that I mean well, even if I screw this up.]
I saw a familiar face behind the counter. I don't know his (he/his/him because he was obviously born, and still is, physically male) given name but I had seen him wearing make-up and with his nails painted and wearing a name tag that said "Charlotte" from time to time while we lived there. Other times, he wore no makeup or nail polish and wore no name tag.
This is a small southern town rife with hypocrites that call themselves "Christian", so that took some real courage to do.
Other times he didn't have on make-up or nail polish or a name tag. But he was always professional and kind.
I used to go there almost every morning to get my mom a chicken biscuit and I went out of my way to be kind to him because I could see the stress on his face, day after day (
Today, when I went in for the papers, I decided to get a Coke and saw one with "Charlotte" on it. I got it and one for me.
When I checked out, he was not wearing his makeup or nail polish. He was not wearing his Charlotte name tag. But he was looking a bit stressed.
After he ring up my papers and Cokes, I handed him the one that said Charlotten and, for the first time, I saw a face without stress. It was if it just melted away.
He smiled and said thank you. I smiled and left.
It was just a Coke. But I saw a Coke melt away fear today - if only for a moment.
If you see this, hang in there Charlotte. It's going to be ok.
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u/Traditional-Bee-3971 17h ago
That must have been quite a sight! Glad it brought a smile to your face.
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u/DecoherentDoc 17h ago
Awesome. I hope Charlotte gets to be appreciated as their authentic self more often. Excellent move, friendo.