Let’s Hear it for Retail

I was a stock boy for a few years.

Enjoyed it because all the pretty girls worked there and me and my buddy Tom would walk the tracks home with a couple of 8-packs of ponies.

We always wanted to do a good job too, and it was often times hard working around the public. I recall an elderly guy walking up to me with a pie.

He said, “Am I reading this right? Is this $2.99?”

I said: “that’s what it says.”

He dropped the pie on the floor.

“You eat it for that price.”

I laughed.

I was thinking about that when I was in the grocery store, hiding behind my mask with a shirt on that I removed before I came back into my home. I would guess that 3 out of every 10 people had their face covered. One of the cashiers didn’t. The older man in front of me in line did.

He offered his opinion to the cashier.

“Why aren’t you wearing a mask?” He asked...kinda’ nastily.

“I’m not paranoid,” she said.

The conversation ended and the cashier moved on to my order. The man stormed away and went in the direction of the office. A moment later, a woman came out of the office and headed to my cashier.

The office lady must’ve learned to whisper in a sawmill.

“The man you waited on a minute ago filed a complaint against you. He said that he suggested you wear a mask and you were rude. I need to see you in my office when you’re done with this order.”

I was stunned to silence, and truth be told, I was sweating behind my mask and just wanted to be gone, but when I looked up the poor cashier was crying.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “I’m going to get fired and I can’t afford to live because I didn’t wear a mask.”

I didn’t know what to say.

I just know I felt badly for her.

“I worked 60 hours last week,” she cried. “This is what I get.”

There are a whole lot of people out there, toiling in jobs that are pretty important now, but have always been considered starter jobs...

...low-paying gigs.

That are so important to those of us sitting home.

I hope that poor woman didn’t lose her job.

I pray that none of those working in close proximity to all the people who don’t want to wear a mask, don’t somehow get sick.

We owe them for being out there.

Let’s hear it for retail!

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