Pleasant Encounter at Macy's

[MIButterfly]

Today for the first time in over a week, I ventured out into the sub-zero temperatures. I had several errands to run that I couldn't put off any longer. The first place I went to was Macy's to pick up an online order. There was a woman a few people ahead of me who had picked up a pair of boots and the clerk said she could go into this little room to try them on before she left. By the time she came out, I was done with my transaction and as she walked past me, I remarked that the boots were cute and I said to the clerk "I might have to do some boot shopping." The woman and I walked together down the aisle and I asked her if the boots were warm and she said they were; then I asked her if they were comfortable and she said they were. Then she showed me the old boots she had worn into the store and I said they were cute, but I like the new boots better. She said she did too. Then she said they had good boots in the store and online and I should check them out. When we parted ways I said it was nice talking to her and she said the same to me.

I can't believe how good I felt when I left the store. It's such a little thing, to have a few good words with a stranger in this day and age. It seems like everywhere I go, people are rude and pushy and in a hurry and impatient and quick to anger and sometimes downright nasty and it is so refreshing to have a conversation, a connection, as small as it was, with another human being who's actually nice.

Then I went to Kroger and I was talking to the clerk about how awful their app is in that particular store (apparently they have lousy WiFi) and he was just cracking up at everything I said. I guess it was the way I said it.

It's little things like these two encounters that brighten my day and momentarily take my mind off how truly awful things seem to be these days (and the terrible weather).

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. You make those great opportunities yourself, by being open and friendly to those around you.

Sometimes I do stuff like that too. I remember one day, in my grocery store, there was a bunch of us and our shopping carts, all caught trying to turn a corner where we'd all gotten stuck.

I started to laugh and said: It doesn't matter how big the aisles are--we still get stuck! Everybody laughed, the bunch broke up and we all went on our separate ways, smiling.

Keep doing it! It really works and we can all use some laughter in our daily lives.

[sprinkleeninow]

2. I get uplifted by interacting with shoppers primarily at grocery stores.

Seems as if most items I want are on the very top shelf up near the ceiling.😄

If there's a couple shopping I ask to borrow the guy to fetch me what's way up high. They are so gracious!

During the egg debacle of slim pickins, I remarked to a nearby shopper also looking at eggs. I said maybe the hens are on strike! Got a laugh in agreement.

Once after talking out loud to a shelf about trying to find what I wanted, a shopper was nearby and I said, "Someone told me it's OK to talk to the items. But, you're in trouble if they start talking back to you!" 🤣

[MIButterfly]

3. My mother would talk to anybody everywhere we went.

I guess she never met a stranger. I take after her, to a smaller extent; but I've never been as good at it as she was. Of course, she was this cute, feisty little old lady who would more often than not make people laugh and I'm not. I once drove a couple away from their seats at a Cubs game. They left and when they came back, they sat in the row behind me. Maybe I was talking too much or maybe the woman didn't like the way I was disparaging Jon Lester.

[Alice Kramden]

4. I was in a short line at the grocery store, but then

Some mishap occurred between the cashier and the customer ahead, and it turned into a long delay. We stood there and stood there, and I looked at the person in back of me in line and said "This is when we perfect our standing meditation"

[SuzyandPuffpuff]

5. Yes

I laughed with folks recently in a Safeway about something silly and ya...it was nice and refreshing