This is a short tale of habit: We had just come back to college after January term. I was sitting at a long wooden dining hall table when an upper-class woman sat down next to me.
“How was your Jan term?” she asked me as she put her tray down.
“Pretty decent....” I started to answer. I stopped because as this woman’s mind was listening to me, her eyes had spotted a kernel of corn under the edge of her tray. She neatly picked the kernel up and popped it in her mouth; she nodded at me to continue.
I stared.
“Oh! Oh! I can’t believe I just did that!” She gagged. “That’s something I’d do at home!”
“We just got back…” I offered, my lips shrunk together in empathy and disgust. I added, “If it makes you feel any better, Val was sitting there and she’s pretty clean.”
My comment was unheard. The upper-class woman had run off to get some hot tea. Disinfecting, you know.
“How was your Jan term?” she asked me as she put her tray down.
“Pretty decent....” I started to answer. I stopped because as this woman’s mind was listening to me, her eyes had spotted a kernel of corn under the edge of her tray. She neatly picked the kernel up and popped it in her mouth; she nodded at me to continue.
I stared.
“Oh! Oh! I can’t believe I just did that!” She gagged. “That’s something I’d do at home!”
“We just got back…” I offered, my lips shrunk together in empathy and disgust. I added, “If it makes you feel any better, Val was sitting there and she’s pretty clean.”
My comment was unheard. The upper-class woman had run off to get some hot tea. Disinfecting, you know.
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