For the Cashier Who Made Me Absolutely Wordless – My Hat's Off to You
It was a weekend morning, and I found myself sufficiently irritable, topping off my mum’s car. It was one of those petrol stations that also functions as a supermarket, so you run the risk of waiting behind people bearing baskets of somewhat expensive items. It's an awful situation to unfold when all you want is to pay for some fuel. Dreadful.
My position was fourth in the waiting line. A single person serving, a female attendant. A peculiar quality in her demeanor. After the ditherer at the head of the line had completed payment for his Viakal, his sausage roll, and his box of eggs, It seemed to me that I heard the cashier wish him a wonderful day. Unusual. Perhaps I’d misheard, or possibly she uttered it and used a mocking tone. I wondered if she might actually be a supporter in my fight against faff, sharing my contempt for those who delay straightforward customers like me.
I moved up, to third in the queue. The new leader of our line completed her gasoline purchase with impressive quickness. Once more it happened: “Have a wonderful day.” No, actually, it was “have a wonderful day”. Someone from the US? Here in Stourbridge? The pronunciation indicated it, and few locals says to others those exact words, or simply a good day. Quite out of place. You don’t get people from America frequenting this area, and definitely not holding jobs in fueling spots or elsewhere.
Now I stood second. After an elderly lady dealing with a lengthy struggle with her basket, her food items, her wallet and her membership pass. The process dragged on. When she was done, she as well was wished an excellent day. Definitely from the US. Confirming it was possible by cracking a joke at the cashier, to see if she did that response as they gaze at you, without a smile, and reply with genuine earnest: “You are very amusing.” But I couldn’t think of a funny comment to express.
In the end, I embraced for the absolute sincerity – or a performance of it, which amounts to the same thing – while she stared straight at me, to my very core, and told me to have a great day. It improved my mood. Beneficial indeed.
