The Exchange
For two full years, Brian and Denise had been teaching English in Dalian China without a break outside the country.
They were finally back on American soil. When they landed at JFK, they were relieved, not that New York was the greatest place they had ever been, but none of the signs were in a foreign language, the language being spoken over the PA system was English, and they could understand almost everyone they spoke with.
They still had a lot of Chinese Yuan to exchange before resettling in the States, but they were certain to find a currency exchange at the airport.
Stopping at the Great American Sub Shop was their first stop after bathroom breaks. Even though they were exhausted from the 27 hours in the air and in airports, they just wanted “normal” food. After they ordered their food, Brian pulled out a wad of bills to pay for it.
He looked at the Yuan paper notes, and thought, Why not?
“You take this?” Brian asked, as a joke.
“Naa, man,” the cashier said. “We don’t take no Canadian money here. Just American.”
Welcome to America.
It's totally embarrassing how so many Americans think that being uneducated should be worn as a badge of honor.
I guess the young man didn’t bother to look at those dollar bills a little closer. A lot of people go through life not knowing much whether by laziness or just plain ignorance. Sad right? Thank you David this was a good read today.