I only go to the grocery store once a week. It seems like more but it really is only once per week. It seems that every time I go something happens. There was the time I had a full cart of food and no money. Oops, wrong day. It wasn’t the 3rd. There was the recent event where I saw my life and the lives of my alters pass before my eyes as a white van pulled up behind me and stopped. Then yesterday I had a near miss with a bird who wanted to play target practice with my sunroof. Sheshhh! It makes a girl not want to go to the store. I feel like maybe a dark cloud is hanging over my head every time the word “shop” comes up.
The other day while at a local shop I went to reach for fabric softener but I had to move a bottle of fabric spray first. When I picked the bottle up the bottom of it fell off and spilled all over me. Immediately when it touched my skin it began to burn. My entire right arm was bright red. I calmly walked to the front of the store to ask if I could wash it off in their restroom. I told the cashier what happened and handed her the bottomless bottle. To my surprise she told me they don’t have a public restroom. I told her it wasn’t about using the restroom. She insisted I go next door to their restroom and wash it off. I was livid but still under control UNTIL she reached for a bottle of Windex to wash off my now swollen and rashed up arm. I about fell over when she sprayed me with the bottle then reached to wipe it off with a rag. What is it with people and dirty rags anyway?
I moved away from her rather quickly and told her she needed to go get her manager. Where was the manger? No where in sight. By this time I’m really hurting and angry. The manager showed up and apologized up and down for the cashier. She escorted me to the back and let me in the restroom. The entire time my mouth was running. I went on and on about how ridiculous the situation was, about the Windex, the rag, the inability to tell the difference between an emergency and a request to use the restroom. The manager stayed calm. She put her hand out to let me walk in front of her. When we got to the restroom she again let me walk in front of her (not because she was scared to turn her back on me either cause this girl looks like she can kick my ass.) Her voice was low. Her words were few. I remember thinking to myself, “She’s really making it hard to go completely off.” She was so nice she was almost gentleman-like.
A few days later I returned to the store to get the items I left. The Windex cashier immediately went on break per the manager’s request. I calmly got my items then walked over to the manager and said, “So, do y’all intend to throw any chemicals on me today?” She started laughing. I said, “You made it really difficult to go off the other day. Had you said one word wrong I was so ready to give you hell.” She explained that she’d worked in this field for a very long time and some people she realizes just need to “get it all out” and others need to “get out”. She figured me for a “get it all out” kinda girl who didn’t need prompting or additional attitude. I smiled. You know, it matters how you respond to things. Whether you’re in the right or wrong your reaction can inflame or delflate the situation. I was right to be upset but it doesn’t mean I wasn’t influenced by her calm nature. She chose not to throw fuel on the fire.
This was over a month ago that this happened but the impression she made was a strong one. When I go in there’s no stress, no hurried breaks or anything like that. Actually, the Windex cashier and I are friendly too. When I go in she asks, “Are you here to see “the gentleman?” I want to say, “No, I’m here to use your restroom.” but I don’t know if there’s been enough healing time for that.
Today I purchased a bottle of Awesome cleaner. When I got it home I noticed a hole in the bottom of the bottle. I only noticed it because it leaked its contents all over my floor. I’ll be damned if I take it back. I know that bird is still waiting for me.
J of A
Actions and Reactions-Sunday, July 27, 2008-4:20AM EST
It’s not funny, but damn this made me laugh. The manager sounds like a really great person.
But WTF is up with their bottles of cleaner?
Public or not, they should have gotten you to a restroom immediately. Don’t they know they can be sued? If you would go to a hospital (or did right then), call an ambulance or anything, I’ll betg they’d have gotten you to a restroom! Then to spray windox on it???????? The scene I would have created would have caused a real stir and I would have been on the phone calling an ambulance. People can be so stupid but this is rediculous.
The humorous way you say things just brightens my day! Sorry that you had such a difficult time but you handled it really well. Think the universe is telling you not to clean right now, though. Or, maybe I am just wishing that it was telling me that!
Take care,
Tamara
Windex? You’ve got to be kidding! Where do they find these people?
I’m with Tamara: your humor brightens my day.
I don’t know where they find their cashiers. I think they might have gotten this one at the I love S. C. Johnson & Son Convention. It was right around the corner from the Many Uses of Windex Festival. She, however, isn’t as brilliant or bright as the windows she cleans.
I was recently told that many of the operators from my cab company are on work release. That explains so much. So lets think about this … you take several criminals, put them all together, pay them to be there, give them access to credit card numbers, SS#’s and home addresses. WOW. Someone really thought that through.
It’s not that I’m against having another chance to work and make a living. It’s just that I don’t know that work release is the best time to be given my home address, SS# and all that.
There’s a Denny’s on the opposite side of town where most of the waitresses are on work release. I haven’t been in there. “May I take your order, and you’re wallet?”
Austin