preloader

Just Words

My overly friendly, assumptive way of relating to strangers doesn’t always work.

I walked into the supermarket yesterday and for the first time I was struck by how efficient grocery stores are at expediting customers. Once again most of the shopping carts were inside the store, yet I knew that the line I’d stand in would be no more than one person deep. I guess it’s the number of cash registers, or that no one pays by check anymore, or that all the items are tagged, or that… ?

After Margaret asked me, “Paper or Plastic,” I said, “Supermarkets are amazing places.”

She looked at me.

“Think of the numbers of people who come and go and yet no lines.”

She smiled.

“If this were Home Depot or any other large store doing the equivalent volume, there would be lines.”

She handed me my receipt.

“Why thank you, and have a good day.”


Chillin’

7 Comments
son
son

Yea. nice picture

to work or not to work
to work or not to work

What do you mean, it didn’t work? You made her day. (You just didn’t get the complete story of her life.)

goose
goose

haha oh the bring back the memories of summer with you. thats great.

charlie
charlie

The legendary napper in his early years…

anonymous
anonymous

Your story reminds me a little of the time in the late 70s when I went to my work/study job at the university cafeteria and was deeply impressed with the brilliance of the system of warming pans — there were full size pans, half size pans, 1/3 size pans, … the quarter size pans needed little supports to hold up one of the two sides that wasn’t supported by the long edge support. Gosh, I really wish I had a photo, to explain this better. It’s really a very clever system, and I was eloquent in my praises.

No, I wasn’t fired.

smiling
smiling

How come you make us dig for Chillin’ (short for children, right?) instead of posting on the front page?

What a flashback. We probably had Here Comes the Sun playing in the background…

Is that Karen or Bonnie on my left?

michael
michael

That would be, Karen. I wonder who took the picture?