Renewal at the DMV...

I renewed my driver's license today at the DMV. I checked the box to donate $1.00 for organ transplant research because I think it's a worthy cause and because I like the mass giving model. If every driver gave just $1.00 a lot of money would be raised but the only way that works is if people do it and since I think it makes sense and is a good idea it seemed impossible for me not to check the box. When I got to the counter (I was number B270 and my wait was about 35 minutes which was really fine but a little numbing because the DMV office has a not loud but very strong drone to it caused by the whirring sound of the old fashioned really large standing fans that are inventoried in DMV warehouses somewhere. I am very sensitive to three triggers that cause in me moderate to strong head fog; waiting at the DMV, shopping malls and allergy pills.) the clerk said to me, "you checked the box to give one dollar, do you want to do that?" I said yes, why do you ask? And she said, "just checking, no one ever does".

I then told her I was thinking about also checking the organ donor box which basically lets the state harvest your organs if you die in an auto accident. That also makes total sense to me. So I asked her for a pen. She said to me, "I could never do that" I asked "why not". Se said, "Because as far as I am concerned, I am never going to die". I replied, "So you think you are immortal?" She said, "Yes, but I really should do it because my fiance is on the list to get a kidney". (He has been on dialysis for 4 years (4 X per week) and is 39 years old). I said, "Well that convinces me, can I have your pen?" She hands me her pen and I go to sign my name and the pen doesn't work. I said, "Yeessh that's kind of weird, like a sign or something - kind of like not getting on the doomed plane, maybe I am not supposed to sign this because maybe if I do God will kind of evaluate me versus some wonderful person's need for an organ and I suspect I might come up with the short straw on that one." (maybe that is not exactly what I said because it sounds like more words than I normally use when speaking but it was definitely what I was thinking and pretty much what I said). So I handed her back her pen and said, "You try it - I bet it works for you." She scribbled on a piece of paper and it worked perfectly so I said to her, "Wait a minute give me that back." Then I tried it and it worked so I signed the line to become an organ donor if I die in car accident. My driver's license will now say "Organ Donor" on it (in green). As I handed her back her pen I said something about me being cremated anyway so its not like a bunch of ashes will be any less because one measly organ wasn't included and I added that I have seen human ashes and they are not really very impressive looking - same as ashes from a fireplace basically. The clerk said that she found my ability to accept things "very nice". I asked her if she likes her job and she said she loves it and she kind of used her hand in a gesture of pointing to her and then pointing to me and she smiled.

Having concluded the renewal process I folded my temporary license up (my permanent one will arrive in the mail in about 10 days) put it in my wallet and walked out the exit. About three paces outside of the building I passed a guy going in (maybe I was lost in thought or whatever) and he said to me : "You look like they got the best of you in there."