For the Checkout Assistant Who Left Me Completely Speechless – Kudos to You
The scene was a day of rest, and I felt grumpy enough, refueling the family car. This was one of those petrol stations that doubles as a supermarket, which often leads of ending up in line shoppers with carts of pricey provisions. It's an awful situation to happen when all you want is to get gasoline and leave. Awful.
I was fourth in the waiting line. A single person serving, a youthful clerk. Something stood out about her. After the ditherer at the first position had at last settled for his purchases, his pastry, and a carton of eggs, It seemed to me that I heard the cashier wish him a wonderful day. Odd. Could be I misunderstood, or maybe she did say it and meant it ironically. I wondered if she could even be an ally in my fight against faff, echoing my disdain for people who hold up simple fuel-buyers including me.
Taking a step forward, becoming the third customer. The next shopper of our line discharged her fuel-only transaction with notable efficiency. And there it was again: “I hope you have a fantastic day.” No, actually, it was “may your day be absolutely splendid”. An American? At this location? She had the accent, and no British person tells people such a cheerful phrase, or merely a pleasant day. Very rare. It's uncommon to find people from America frequenting this area, least of all holding jobs in fueling spots or other places.
I was second now. After an elderly lady dealing with a lengthy struggle with her shopping cart, her food items, her wallet and her loyalty card. The process dragged on. When she was done, she too got told an excellent day. Definitely from the US. I might have verified it by cracking a joke at the cashier, to observe that thing their typical stare, stoically, and reply with genuine earnest: “That is quite humorous.” But I couldn’t think of anything hilarious to say.
In the end, I embraced the genuine warmth – or a mimicry of sincerity, that equates to identical in effect – as she gazed directly into my eyes, piercingly, and told me an awesome day. It improved my mood. Beneficial indeed.
