Friday, May 17, 2019

No Worries

I found out my license expired when I tried to pick up my rental car in the Savannah airport. The rental car company said, 'no problem.' Just go get a temporary license. I opened my laptop in the airport and began filling out the forms online for NY state. On the third page I found out that I needed an eye exam to do an online renewal because I have glasses, but no problem. You just pop into a Lenscrafters and get a form filled out. Nick and I drive around and Lenscrafter is closed but there's an optometrist office in the Wal-Mart. I'm thinking 'wow, life is so convenient: online renewal, Wal-Mart optometrist, quick forms.' I pop into the Wal-Mart optometrist and they're booked. No worries I'll come back tomorrow. I get back the new day and tell the clerk 'I just need this form signed. My vision is fine.' They test me for cataracts, repeatedly ask 'do you want to get your eyes dilated?' No. I'm trying to rent a car...like now. I heard the optometrist in the exam room waxing philosophically to a client. I just want to be a New Yorker and electric slide into the office like 'excuse can you just sign this form?' I resist b/c I'm trying to chill and 'no worries'... there are walk-in hours.

We go get lunch and I come back for walk-in hours. I waited two hours and I was told that I could come back in the morning. No worries...just come back at 8am. I started taking a Lyft around b/c I have a month-long pass that gives me $8 off the first 30 ride so short-distance rides are free. In NYC I've used the app about 20 times in the last month and only paid the optional tip of $1-2. I rode around for free, talked to the drivers. I Lyft'ed to the Wal-Mart the next day at 8am sharp. As I'm was waiting for the optometrist I replayed Beyonce's cover of "Before I Let You Go" in my head. An employee caught me dancing and was like 'heeey, you doing the stinky leg' and an impromptu dance party started in the vitamin section. The optometrist came and I explained that I just needed him to sign the form. He starts talking about the nature of the eye. This goes on for about 10 minutes. What is going on? Well, fuck it. If he's going to talk this much I'm going to record him. Maybe I can use it for a character later. He gives me permission and I record a half-hour of him talking about the eye. The exam itself took about 2 minutes. At the end of our 40 min session, he was like 'yeah, your eyes are fine.' He gave me the forms, I raced across the street to UPS, filled out my renewal online, got a temporary license, and printed it out. Then I took a 'free' Lyft to the nearest airport to rent a car where I ran to the rental counter: car please! No worries, the clerk told me they only had an SUV. I thought 'fine, whatever. Just give it to me." They said it would cost $500. For 2 1/2 days? Now, could I pay $500? Yes? Should I pay that when I'm riding around in Lyfts for free? I walked outside and took a Lyft back to the condo I'm staying at...maybe this happened for a reason. All these people I met, all these little stories. I decided that I don't need a rental car. I Lyft to my next appointment. The next day I walked to my interview. No worries. Someone else picked me up to go to another meeting, and toward the end of the afternoon, the AD of the theatre down here gave me his car for the last two days.

No worries.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

So funny. Conflict. Conflict. Conflict. Life lesson. Bingo!

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