Addressing the Store Clerk Who Made Me Totally Speechless – I Salute You
It was a day of rest, and I was sufficiently irritable, topping off the family car. This was a common fuel stop that also functions as a grocery store, which often leads of ending up in line people bearing baskets of slightly overpriced groceries. It's an awful situation to occur when all you want is to complete a simple refueling. Awful.
Fourth in line I stood in the waiting line. A single cashier operating, a female attendant. A peculiar quality in her demeanor. Once the slowpoke at the front of the queue had completed payment for his Viakal, his pastry, and his box of eggs, It seemed to me I heard the cashier bid him a wonderful day. Strange. Could be I misunderstood, or possibly she uttered it and meant it ironically. The thought crossed my mind if she could even be a supporter in my fight against faff, reflecting my irritation for individuals slowing down people just getting gas including me.
Advancing next, to third in the queue. The person ahead of our group completed her gasoline purchase with impressive quickness. Again, the phrase came: “I hope you have a fantastic day.” In fact, it was “have a wonderful day”. Someone from the US? Here in Stourbridge? She had the accent, and hardly anyone here says to others those exact words, or simply a good day. Quite out of place. Rarely does one encounter US citizens visiting this town, certainly not working in petrol stations or anywhere else.
Now I stood second. After an elderly lady embroiled in a lengthy struggle with her shopping cart, her food items, her handbag and her rewards card. It went on for ever. Once completed, the woman also was wished to have a fantastic day. Clearly an American. Confirming it was possible by saying something hilarious in her direction, to check for that response their typical stare, unsmilingly, and reply with genuine earnest: “That is quite humorous.” However, nothing occurred of anything hilarious to express.
In the end, I embraced the genuine warmth – or a mimicry of sincerity, essentially the same as no different – with which she looked straight at me, deep into my soul, and bid me an awesome day. My spirits lifted. Beneficial indeed.
