Supermarket Smile

Today I had my day made by the people working at the grocery store. Shocking right? Usually when you go to the grocery store after work it’s like a scene out of War of the Worlds. First, you must conquer the parking lot. This involves keeping a keen eye out for reverse lights, idiots with runaway carts, and abrupt stops for those who don’t know what a crosswalk is. Then you must battle the carts and hoards of people inside. Damn it if you could remember which aisle the nuts were on so you didn’t have to do a second time around the store! Finally you must stand in the mile long checkout line where  you are asked, “Paper or plastic?” And must politely reply, “Those cloth bags that you just threw are mine.” Then they ask you, “Are these your coupons?” And again you must politely reply, “Yes, I was the only one who put that stack in my cart.” Finally you get to leave, much poorer, and with about 2 bags of actual food.

However today, was different. The parking lot was empty and I was even able to pull into a spot…whoa. Then each worker greeted me politely and we had a quick chat about our days. You wouldn’t believe it, but actually having a polite conversation with someone can make you feel quite chipper. Finally, the bakery man said with a smile “I’ll see you next week!” I happily walked away with carrot cake in hand (don’t ask why me and the bakery man know each other, and by the way the carrot cake was a Mardi Gras treat). This 20 minute experience has prompted me to be more patient and friendly at the store. It’s amazing how you feel when someone is nice to you, and how good it makes you feel to have them feel valued as well. Genuine people are like a lost race, and I mean to fix that. Oh, and to only go the grocery store during the day. Now to the carrot cake…