Happy Birthday Grandma!! - no this is not a costume and wig

Two days ago, my co-teacher invited me to her mother-in-law"s birthday dinner after school. She had allowed one of the classes to sing a Happy Birthday video for my sister a few weeks prior so I agreed.

One good turn deserves another, right?

Right after school, her husband picks us up and drives 15 minutes downtown to one of the larger apartment buildings in the area. We take the elevator upstairs and walk into a very large well-furnished apartment. There is an old petite lady on two walkers slowly moving around the living room. She freezes when we walk into the apartment. I smile and bow my head to her in greeting and in respect. My co-teacher introduces me and she throws out a few English words. I am impressed. Usually the senior citizens do not speak a word of English. "Grandma" makes her way slowly to the couch and gestures for me to sit down. Then she takes my arm and pats it and comments about how soft my skin is. I continue to smile patiently because this "shock"  is usual behavior for me by now. Most senior citizens here are shocked to see me on the streets. I usually smile and bow my head to them in respect as I keep on walking. After the initial shock, most of them smile back.

Grandma pulls out her smartphone and asks to take a photo of us together. I agreed. She takes a picture of both of us and one of me by myself.  She then texts the picture to her friends and daughter. She continues to smile brightly, pat my hand and look me over from head to toe.

Finally it is cake and dinner time. My co-teacher videotapes me and one grandson singing Happy Birthday to Grandma in English. During dinner my co-teacher says lightly, "She thought you had on a costume and wig when you walked in". 

WTF?

This old woman did not have any point of reference for someone who looked like me so I HAD to have on a costume and wig.  In sixty-nine years on this earth, there was nothing she had ever seen that explained my existence to her.

WOW.

On the one hand I was shocked at those words. On the other hand, I understood her sincere ignorance. There was no malice in her ignorance. She honestly did not know. And she was such a sweetie. By the end of the evening, we were on our second round of pictures. Grandma put on a nice coat of lipstick so we could take several selfies together. We hammed it up for the camera and acted silly. It was fun. I  was glad I put a smile on an old lady's face and laughter in her heart on her birthday.

Ignorance be damned.