Kindness: Bless You

If anyone has been around me for a reasonable amount of time, co-workers or friends or family, you know that when I sneeze, I go all out. Not in the one-sneeze-that'll-blow-your-house-down kind of way. Nope. It's more of a I'll-sneeze-three-million-times-in-a-row kind of way. Medium sneezes, but minimum of about four at a time in quick succession, usually six. I think my record is nine.

If around strangers, someone will bless me after the first one. When the second one goes, they bless again. But after that, they stop. Usually to be followed up with a final bless you and a comment like 'are you OK?!' or 'how many was that?' or just a 'jeez!'

One evening last week I was exiting the train at my home station when a sneezing fit came on. I had rushed to get on the train, so I was in the back instead of the usual front, which meant I had to walk the full length of the platform to the exit. Sneezing away, I walk-sneezed down the platform along side the train. As our train was emptying, the train on the opposite side of the platform was getting ready to depart. Mid-way through the departing subway train, a second conductor sat. He must have watched me walk-sneezing down the platform, because, when I passed by, sneezing my grand finale I heard a, "Bless you." I looked around, and, again, having been at the back of the train, it was rather sparse. That's when I realized that it had been the conductor, all the way from across the platform.