Superpowers

So I was thinking the other day, if I had a superpower, what would it be? Would I fly? Would I lift things with superhuman strength? Would I read minds? What superpower would truly be useful for me?

I came up with turning invisible. This would be the most useful thing for me because there are so many times where I wish I were invisible. Plus how cool would it be to be the "fly on the wall" for some moments?

One place that becoming invisible would be especially useful is at the mall. When I am shopping at the mall I really don't want people to talk to me. I mean I am all ok with people asking me if I am doing ok and if I need any help. That is just doing your job. What I don't like is badgering. My mall has these booths in the middle of place. People call out to you like men looking for women. Except instead of whistles and "Hey nice butt!" (Which by the way, readers, I do not get. I think the look I shoot discourages this.), they say, "Good _____ (whatever time of day it is), can I see your nails?"

Now, if any of you know me, you will know this: I HATE nails. There are few things in this world that make me gag. One of them is nail maintenance. Pedicures are murder for me. Manicures make me want to throw up. I do them anyway once in a while for special occasions or because my nail jobs look gross. Otherwise I cut them myself. I will paint them myself (even if it looks like a three year old did it.) I never was able to cut anyone's nails. It makes me gag. I can cut my own though so everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

Now, here is this guy straight out of France. His hair pulled back into a low ponytail. He was skinnier than me and about my height and just reeked of insincere kindness. Sometimes I want to tell these people to just treat me like a human, not the princess I am. He stands there feet together with this silver platter of a nail polishing buffer thing (I do have this at home. I like it) and lotion like he is going to serve me my next course in a fancy dinner.
"Ma'm do you have natural nails?"
"Uh, yes, I think so."
"Oh may I see them?"
"No"
"Please"
"No, you don't understand, you cannot see my nails."
"What is your name?" He asked as he girlishly extended his hand to shake mine.
"Magpie" I said standing five feet away slowly making my getaway.
"Come on shake my hand."
I reluctantly shook his hand. All the while I was planning to make a bolt for it if he thought it would be clever enough to pin my hand down, flip it over and look and touch my nails. Luckily, he didn't. He released my hand and I went back to my five foot away place and turned.

THAT is when I need to be invisible. When these pseudo street merchants badger my walking around the mall. How totally awesome would it be to become invisible as I walk by them and then become visible after them? Or what about when Phillipe over there wanted to shake my hand and I go to do it and just as I reach out to touch his hand I disappear. He'd totally flip. He'd second guess talking to anyone from that point on. Yes. Yes he would.

Another good place to be invisible is at conversations where you know you will be mentioned. Or any conversation where you just want to be a fly on the wall. You know the common stuff. This would be more useful if you were a kid and you wanted to know your birthday gift. Now I would just want to know what the nurses in the ER are saying about us or what the nurses at the nurse's station are talking about when I am not there. It would kinda be like having eyes in the back of your head in a way.

I would also try to sneak into conversations where my crush was at to see if he says anything about me. OR better yet, I could have my friend talking to my crush and I am invisible sitting there (or standing that way I can scare the man if he starts talking bad about me). That would make life so easy wouldn't it? Oh yeah it would. I wouldn't be so nervous then. I'd be either more confident or just bummed. Either way, it wouldn't be as awkward as me going up to the guy and telling him that I like him or think he is cute or think he is whatever I think he is. I'd just know.

Being invisible would help in sticky situations too. For example, I am getting chewed out by one of the nurses for some hypocritical reason or by a doctor for not being a good nurse. Usually, at these points in my job I just want to find a nice quiet secluded corner to curl up into a ball and cry just from being way too overwhelmed. However, if I disappeared, the person yelling at me would totally not know what to do in a situation where their scratching post disappears. I can see it now:

"You called me three times during the night about this woman's blood pressure but you haven't taken it for three hours?"
"Doctor, I've been taking it every two hours, I just..."
"That is bad nursing. I mean, you haven't checked it in three hours."
*CUE TO DISAPPEAR*
"I mean, that is just bad.....Hello? Hello?"

Or how about in front of my charge nurse when she finds that she can't reach me on my SpectraLink:
"You never have your phone on. You answer your phone. Change you battery."
"I don't like answering it when I am talking to my patient."
"You tell them 'Wait one moment please.' Then you pick up your phone and say, 'Hello, can I help you?' And then it will not go to my phone and my phone doesn't bother my @$$."
"I will not answer my phone when I am talking to a patient. That is rude."
"You will answer....WHERE DID THAT CHILE GO????"

Sweetness. Sweetness greater than that you, dear readers, have ever tasted.

How about embarrassing situations? Like the mulitple times I walked into wrong bathrooms. Or the times I bring a guy home and my brothers swarm him like a bees swarming a half eaten discarded piece of fruit? Or when I say something stupid, or incoherent at work?
"I would have flown across this desk and slapped you." Me to some phelb.
"You are too sweet to do that. You are a nurse."
"Just wait until I get you in one of those beds." <----stupid comment on my part meant to inflict fear of pain.
"Magpie, stop talking." <-----my friend and coworker.
*CUE TO DISAPPEAR AND CONTINUE TO DISAPPEAR EVERYTIME I SEE THAT PERSON*

Anyway, I think it would be pretty sweet to disappear. Lots of useful situations and moments to utilize this superhero power. Even if I do use it selfishly. However, I do not posses this power. For now, I will have to deal with my embarrassing comments, scoldings and learn my lesson to look at the floor and not make eye contact with market barkers. Either that or close my eyes. That seems to work just as well.
TTFN,
Magpe.