December 12, 2011--"I'm Fabulous!"
The cashier at the Boca Raton Whole Foods had routinely asked how we were and after routinely saying fine we routinely asked how he was.
"I'm fabulous," he gushed. His joyous grin as wide as the pasta aisle.
He had even before then made an impression. We had only a few items in our shopping basket and so had gotten on the express, less-than-10-items line. Unusual for Whole Foods, the woman ahead of us had a handful of 25%-off coupons and the cashier was having difficulty figuring out what to do with them. In Boca very few want to be seen in public with discount coupons and clearly the checkout clerk had little experience with them.
Before he could summon a manager to help, and before Rona's Ciao Bella coconut sorbet began to melt, from the opposite side of the cash register, another cashier called out to us, "I can help you. No need to stand there. Just pass your items across to me. There's no one waiting at my line."
I could see his outstretched arms reaching across to us and Rona, delighted, began to pass our items to him. We then went to the other side to join this helpful person.
"I'll bet he's one of their senior people," I said, "who knows how to get things done."
"I'm sure you're right," Rona said, "During these uncertain times I'm finding more people who work in stores like this are doing everything they can to make you feel welcome."
"Did you find everything you need?" a very young man asked.
"Yes, thank you," Rona said. We were both surprised to note that he looked as if he was barely twenty. Not the manager type we were imagining.
"And thank you for spotting us at the other aisle," I added, "It was looking as if we'd be there for half an hour."
He knew I was exaggerating and offered a smile of understanding.
"Do you want me to pack the sorbet separately? It's hotter outside than it should be in December."
"That would be nice," Rona said.
"Don't you find it to be wonderful sorbet? The coconut is one of my favorites. If you haven't tried their Mandarin orange I recommend it."
"Maybe next time." Rona said, "Again, thank you."
By then he was finished packing us up and asked if we were having a good day; and since there was no one on line behind us, Rona asked, "And what about you? How are you doing?"
"I'm fabulous!"
"That's much better than good," I said. "If I may ask, why's that?"
"I'm fabulous because I have a job." he swept his arm across the broad expanse of the store.
"I'm gad to hear that," Rona offered.
"I graduated not too long ago from FAU. I't just up the road from here. I majored in history even though I knew there weren't any jobs for people with newly-minted BAs in history."
"Nor even for people who got them them years ago," I ventured. "But you in spite of that you . . . ?"
"In spite of that. I just love history. Especially colonial history. To me that's when today's America we are living was shaped."
"I agree with that," I said. "But . . . ?"
"With all due respect, there are no buts. I knew what I was in store for; and under the current circumstances, I knew it would be doubly hard to find a job." He paused, "Any job."
"And? So far?"
"So far very good. Some of my friends say to me that this is not much of a job, but all of them moved back home after graduating and still have dreams about getting better jobs than this one. But I've been at it five months and have already saved almost enough for me to begin to be able to find a place of my own."
We nodded when he added, "So what's not fabulous about that? Sure I'd like better prospects but I'm happy to have this. Maybe we're living in a new world and, in case we are, I want to be ready for it. I'm determined to figure out how to make a good life for myself and how to be happy. Am I wrong?"
"Not in the least," Rona said. "I wish circumstances were be better for you and your friends; but all things considered, I think you've got things figured out."
"You'd better get that sorbet home," he said, noticing another couple waiting to get checked out. "It doesn't refreeze very well. And be sure to have a good day."
"I'm fabulous," he gushed. His joyous grin as wide as the pasta aisle.
He had even before then made an impression. We had only a few items in our shopping basket and so had gotten on the express, less-than-10-items line. Unusual for Whole Foods, the woman ahead of us had a handful of 25%-off coupons and the cashier was having difficulty figuring out what to do with them. In Boca very few want to be seen in public with discount coupons and clearly the checkout clerk had little experience with them.
Before he could summon a manager to help, and before Rona's Ciao Bella coconut sorbet began to melt, from the opposite side of the cash register, another cashier called out to us, "I can help you. No need to stand there. Just pass your items across to me. There's no one waiting at my line."
I could see his outstretched arms reaching across to us and Rona, delighted, began to pass our items to him. We then went to the other side to join this helpful person.
"I'll bet he's one of their senior people," I said, "who knows how to get things done."
"I'm sure you're right," Rona said, "During these uncertain times I'm finding more people who work in stores like this are doing everything they can to make you feel welcome."
"Did you find everything you need?" a very young man asked.
"Yes, thank you," Rona said. We were both surprised to note that he looked as if he was barely twenty. Not the manager type we were imagining.
"And thank you for spotting us at the other aisle," I added, "It was looking as if we'd be there for half an hour."
He knew I was exaggerating and offered a smile of understanding.
"Do you want me to pack the sorbet separately? It's hotter outside than it should be in December."
"That would be nice," Rona said.
"Don't you find it to be wonderful sorbet? The coconut is one of my favorites. If you haven't tried their Mandarin orange I recommend it."
"Maybe next time." Rona said, "Again, thank you."
By then he was finished packing us up and asked if we were having a good day; and since there was no one on line behind us, Rona asked, "And what about you? How are you doing?"
"I'm fabulous!"
"That's much better than good," I said. "If I may ask, why's that?"
"I'm fabulous because I have a job." he swept his arm across the broad expanse of the store.
"I'm gad to hear that," Rona offered.
"I graduated not too long ago from FAU. I't just up the road from here. I majored in history even though I knew there weren't any jobs for people with newly-minted BAs in history."
"Nor even for people who got them them years ago," I ventured. "But you in spite of that you . . . ?"
"In spite of that. I just love history. Especially colonial history. To me that's when today's America we are living was shaped."
"I agree with that," I said. "But . . . ?"
"With all due respect, there are no buts. I knew what I was in store for; and under the current circumstances, I knew it would be doubly hard to find a job." He paused, "Any job."
"And? So far?"
"So far very good. Some of my friends say to me that this is not much of a job, but all of them moved back home after graduating and still have dreams about getting better jobs than this one. But I've been at it five months and have already saved almost enough for me to begin to be able to find a place of my own."
We nodded when he added, "So what's not fabulous about that? Sure I'd like better prospects but I'm happy to have this. Maybe we're living in a new world and, in case we are, I want to be ready for it. I'm determined to figure out how to make a good life for myself and how to be happy. Am I wrong?"
"Not in the least," Rona said. "I wish circumstances were be better for you and your friends; but all things considered, I think you've got things figured out."
"You'd better get that sorbet home," he said, noticing another couple waiting to get checked out. "It doesn't refreeze very well. And be sure to have a good day."
posted by Steven Zwerling at
5:18 AM
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