2001-09-05 | 8:12 p.m.

corduroy licorice took his mom to the cleaners. she didn't like to run her errands alone, so he'd drive the family sedan downtown while she rode shotgun.

***

*sniff*

ok. there are a lot of reasons i could be crying right now.

one is that i'm overloaded at work and can't quite seem to find a way to delegate like i should. i'm the last one in the office...again.

also, it's "that time of the month."

and i'm getting a cold.

and i couldn't go see my friends play in pete yorn's band because i knew if i was out all night, my cold would go full-force and there's no way i can call in sick. and i was on "the list" at the show! i'm never on the list at a show!

see? there's lots of reasons for me to leak tears.

but there's another reason.

the reason is a man.

no, no one broke my heart...well, i guess...maybe in a way he did. but broke it in a good way.

"the man" is the office building janitor.

he is a sweet, middle-aged latino man who has a david letterman-esque split between his front teeth, salt and pepper hair and always wears a gold-medallion.

since i work late more often than not, i'll cross paths with him when he comes by to empty trash cans and clean up the restrooms.

he barely speaks english. i barely know spanish.

he always smiles warmly. we greet each other with "hola." i always take off my headphones to say "thanks" when he empties my trash.

i like the guy. he gives off a good vibe. sometimes you can just tell someone's a good person. that there's something good about them.

so tonight, after a hola in the hall, he comes to empty my trash.

"thanks," i say, headphones pulled down.

"gracias," he says. i figure he is teaching me how to say "thanks" in spanish.

"oh yes, gracias."

then he looks like he is about to explain more.

"spanish word spanish word spanish word especial," is what i hear from him as he points and smiles.

then he says haltingly...

"you...are special..to me." and he smiles and nods, pointing to me and then back to himself. he said it completely open-heartedly, as if expecting nothing in return.

i was floored.

"awww, gracias!" i say back, as gratefully and enthusiastically as i can manage on such short notice. he grins, turns and pushes his rolling garbage can away down the hall.

as he passed out of sight, i covered my face with my arm and burst into tears.

my stress + my tiredness + my cold + missing the show + my pms + most of all....a wonderful, unexpected moment from a kind person.

now that's almost worth working late for.

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