I'm still talking to myself here. Doesn't anyone have any ideas for making things a bit better?
Yes, we need some REAL BIG solutions, but we also need more little every day personal aids to bettering our life experience.
This involves our personal behavior on all levels and our interactions with others.
I failed at that yesterday.
I generally enjoy my customers and do my best to make their visit pleasant and even memorable.
I got to the end of my rope yesterday. Returns are a BIG DEAL where I work. They require about five minutes at minimum per transaction. When others are queing up behind is the worst time to encounter returns.
Yestersay, someone had already returned a roll of Lifesavers, saying they were unhealthy. Well, DUH.
Then there was a return of granola, but that's another whole complicated story. The one that got me, was the old gal who had come in and bought a bottle of water. She came back shortly thereafter and asked me for napkins. We are a news stand. We do not have napkins, but the Starbucks around the corner does. So she sprinted off there at my urging. A half hour later, she comes back in and asks for peanut butter crackers. I should have said no to avoid further hassle. I sold her the damn crackers. She was delighted. She came back several minutes later to return the crackers.
"These are not whole wheat crackers. I wanted whole wheat crackers. Let me exchange them for whole wheat."
"Ma'am, we do not have whole wheat crackers. The only crackers we have are the ones clearly displayed on the shelf."
"Well, I need to return these crackers. I must have whole wheat."
So I did a return, as customers stacked up behind her.
I finally was given my lunch break about an hour later. In an obscure corner of a waiting area, I sat with my feet up, reading and munching on my sweet potato chips and yogurt, when, into my personal space appeared that same old gal, the cracker epicure. Apparently, in her eyes, we were now BFF's. Here is where I failed.
I glanced up, looked through her, and turned back pointedly to my book. I did not display friendship where it was clearly asked for. I had had enough.
I suppose Karma will kick me in the humility about that. But hey, in a nine hour day, I only get one 30 minute break. Leave me alone! Peace and quiet are so hard to find in an airport. Everything is intrusive and loud.
Guess that's why I almost never watch TV and only listen to quiet music by favorite artists once in a while.
Are you aware yet of Brett Ryan Stewart? His music is making the world a softer and better place. Look him up on YouTube. Gotta go to work.
Love and Light to All!
Victoria
