Actually

Actually

Standing in line at the grocery store I was getting tired of the chatter. It was bad enough I had to listen to the two in front of me talking about a mutual friend, Janice, who, if she were smart, would never trust either one of them ever again. The worst was the cashier.

I do like a friendly cashier, but friendly as in pleasant, agreeable, not as in loquacious. This woman met every shopper as if it were her long lost cousin and they needed to catch up.

I never have much, so go in the ten or less lane, but I’m beginning to realize it’s a trap. They know we older shoppers will go here with our smaller orders so they put their slowest cashier here, and usually no bagger. Which would still probably work if not for Chatty Checker here.

Well! “I’m too old for this.” I said, out loud! I’d meant to say it to myself! I startled even myself, and Janice’s so called friends too! So, quickly looked at a package back, as if I were reading the instructions, and said, “I better get the other one...” and got of line. Nothing like adding humiliation to anger. Anyway, I walked to the “regular” lines full of overflowing shopping carts of groceries, and got in one.

It was like an assembly line! It went like clockwork! I was at the cashier in minutes!

As I walked out, I passed the two “Janice” discussers, finally making it to their cash register, and the cashier starting to bubble over greeting them. One looked up and waved at me as if we knew each other, because we’d been in line together five minutes ago. It was kind of sweet.

It gave me hope for the future actually.