Like a Sore Thumb

I have never really understood the origin of the phrase, "He stuck out like a sore thumb." I currently have a sore thumb, and no one seems to notice. At any rate, I know what it feels like to stick out like a sore thumb. I lived in India for a year and usually was the only white woman in a 20 mile radius. This drew quite a bit of unwanted attention and everywhere I went, people stared and pointed. I stuck out all the time and for the life of me, I could not blend in.

Then, on my trip back to the US, I spent a week with some friends in France. I boarded the airplane in India being scrutinized and got off the plane in Paris unnoticed. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to not stand out! I went down to the train station to catch my train to Lyon.

As I was sitting there, a lady walked up to me. She was speaking to herself in French. It was one long steam and she seemed to forget to breathe between paragraphs. She sat down next to me on the bench and went on and on and on about something that seemed to vex her quite a lot. I sat there and nodded when she nodded and smiled when she smiled. I looked shocked when she looked shocked and went along with the conversation as if I knew everything this chatty woman was saying. She then looked at her ticket, looked at the clock and let out something like a shriek. I can only assume she was late for her train. She made a little gesture to say goodbye and I waved back, smiling to myself.

Within a few hours, I went from standing out like a sore thumb, to blending in and someone actually thinking I was French! I believe she had no idea that I didn't understand a single word the woman said. Even if I could understand, I doubt I would have been able to get a word in edgewise. Nevertheless, how refreshing it was to finally blend in!