It's amazing how something as mundane as standing in line at the grocery store can offer a life lesson.
It happened to me a few weeks ago. I was the fourth person in line at the store and my hands were full. I only went to the store for one thing, peanut butter, so I saw no reason to get a cart. How short sighted of me!
As I shopped, I was reminded that we needed bread to go with the peanut butter. Also, in the same aisle there were tea bags, and I remembered we were getting low on them. For some reason, tea reminded me of beverages, and I recalled we were almost out of milk. On the way to the back of the store, I saw there was a sale on 12 rolls of bathroom tissue. That was a great buy, so I had to get that. Wow, stores must LOVE customers like me!
That’s how I ended up the fourth person in line with 5 items precariously balanced in my arms. The bathroom tissue served as a tray, with the bread, peanut butter and tea bag box sitting on top. The milk I held by the handle. The line was at a standstill. This fact wasn’t lost on the two people ahead of me. I overheard their complaining that there was only one cashier open at this end of the store. I looked ahead and saw the cashier was having trouble ringing up one of the items. A panicked look was on her face as she scanned and rescanned the uncooperative product. Finally, she called for help, to the chorus of these two people’s grumblings.
Suddenly, my balancing act faltered. The tea box plummeted to the ground, a loud thump echoing throughout the quiet store. However, the two people ahead of me didn’t turn around. For a second, I stared at them in disbelief. I noticed the woman ahead of me had her hands free, she had pumpkins in a cart and the man ahead of her had only a pair of pants in his hands. Surely, one of them will turn around and help pick up my wayward item! It’s not like they didn’t hear it fall! Alas, no one was coming to my aid. I was on my own.
Carefully, I squatted down, placed the milk container on the ground to free up my right hand. Holding the “tray” with my left hand, the peanut butter and bread under my chin, I retrieved the escaped tea bags. I figured I would leave the milk on the ground and push it with my foot. When I straightened up, I was feeling angry at their lack of assistance. What was wrong with them!
The cashier got the help she needed and was able to finish the transaction. The line began to move. I was able to finally put my items on the counter. I observed that the cashier greeted the man purchasing the pair of pants, but he completely ignored her. Next in line was the women with the pumpkins. Again the cashier said good morning, but was only greeted by an icy stare.
I saw after each of these unfriendly exchanges the cashier’s expression get darker and darker. She was really affected by these people’s attitudes. I could relate! I decided instead of letting their rudeness get to me, I would do the exact opposite of them.
I noticed the people behind me was a mother and her little girl, who was holding the large packet of bathroom tissue (I wasn’t the only one who thought it was a good buy!) The packet was almost as big as the little girl, and she was trying to lift it to the counter. Mom couldn’t help, since her arms were full--a woman after my own heart! I reached out and placed the packet on the counter. Her cherub face lit up with a thankful smile.
Now I was the cashier’s next customer. After her last encounters, she didn’t even look up at me, just went along her business scanning my items. I smiled at her and said, “Good morning, how’s it going?”
Her head snapped up, a relieved, sunny look on her face, “Fine, how are you?”
Just with friendly words, the cashier’s attitude changed. As I gathered my bags, she was back to her friendly self, chatting with the next customers.
I also noticed that my disposition was soaring—by doing these random acts of kindness, I wasn’t feeling down in the dumps any more. I didn’t let unkindness get to me and that made all the difference.
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