Friday, September 28, 2012

I Didn't Mean It Nice


Yesterday I brought some clothes I'm no longer wearing to the local thrift store. While I was in the store I looked for used canvases to purchase so I could paint on them for my painting class but I didn't find any. I quickly looked through the household goods to see if I could find any slump or hump molds. I saw a beautifully shaped, low and wide wooden bowl for a dollar and decided to purchase it. It was smooth and  about ten inches across and had a flat bottom. I was thinking I wish I could make a ceramic bowl as nice as this shape.

When I got up to the counter one woman had a whole cart full, grocery cart size, of foreign made Christmas mugs she was buying and the clerk had already started to ring her up. The woman behind her had a whole cart, grocery cart size, full of clothes and various other items piled up over the top. Normally I'd just wait, but I had told Gary, who was waiting in the car, that I'd just be a minute. He hates to go in the thrift stores and gets impatient if he was to wait too long. Since we only have one car right now I don't get to the thrift stores that often. I put a dollar in the wooden bowl and set it on the counter hoping another clerk would come or the woman in front of me would suggest I could go before her. I waited while the clerk wrapped up each mug for the previous woman one by one, put them in a bag, and then in her cart. I was thinking all those foreign made Christmas mugs would probably be sold at the flea market this winter for a dollar each and she was buying them for twenty five cents each. I was thinking if I had any mugs I made I wouldn't be able to sell them.


The woman in front of me glanced around and noticed my one wooden bowl with the dollar in the bowl sitting on the counter. Finally the first woman pushed her cart full of mugs out of the store and the woman in front of me pushed her cart full of clothes piled up high to the register. At that point I stepped out of my norm and decided to ask the woman in front of me if she minded if I went before her because I only had one item. She turned and looked at me and said "I don't have that much in my cart". I glanced at her cart and said OK. Right then another clerk came up to the counter and asked if I had exact change. I said I didn't know what the tax on one dollar would be. She said six cents. I didn't have exact change but I had a quarter and a penny. I gave her the dollar and a quarter and a penny and told her to keep the change. She said you don't  have to do that. I said consider it a donation or a tip. I walked out the store and as I left I told the woman in front of me to have a nice day. I didn't say it mean, but I didn't mean it nice. I feel bad about that. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

18 comments:

  1. I don't blame you a bit for your thoughts and feelings. People are so...strange, aren't they?

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  2. Hello Linda:
    Situations such as you describe here can be hugely frustrating, somewhat irritating and very time consuming but, of course, happen one way or another all of the time.

    We were most intrigued that the wooden dish priced at a $ did not include the full amount with tax. We find that quite strange.

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  3. Hi Teresa, thanks, strange, but sometimes there is a lack in kindness and I guess my thoughts were just as unkind. I think there is a lesson for me to let folks behind me go ahead of me if I notice them, that and perhaps the woman in front of me was in a hurry, I don't know.

    Hi Jane and Lance, thanks, yes one way or another all the time. Here in America, prices posted on an item do not include the tax, the tax is rung up at the register and is in addition to the price of the item.

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  4. people can be strange... i am sure she didn't even realize that you didn't mean it to be nice

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  5. Hi Michele, thanks, well I felt guilty anyway and vow to be nicer to folks.

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  6. Some people can be very strange so I don't blame you a bit. Lovely bowl. Have a nice weekend.

    Hugs

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  7. It seems to me that many people are simply angry...almost waiting for some chance to vent on someone. This is why I meditate, so I can make it thru a day with some calm. I don't blame you one bit, it's so frustrating. I think it was late last year when I went thru an entire week of this kind of stuff. Geez...thought there was a sign on my forehead.

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  8. hummm we were in the same boat the other day and it made me think One could get a job standing in line for others....love the bowl- for a dollar!!

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  9. Great bowl...I wonder if you'll remember this story every time you work with it. It's like it came with an extra tax, the one on your emotions!

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  10. I always let someone go ahead if they have a small purchase--especially if they are carrying it and I have my stuff in a cart. Shame on her for being so selfish!

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  11. Leaping headlong into full disclosure, huh, Linda? We all have our not so nicely said comments running around. I think yours was a lot better than some of mine, but I understand feeling badly about it too. ~Mary

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  12. Meredith - there are professional line standers in China, and I read where homeless people in cities here in the U.S. are also doing it for pay... might be a good winter/slow season job!

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  13. Brownie points are in order for not saying any of the thoughts that were milling around in your head. And that bowl is surely worth the aggravation that went into buying it.

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  14. Well, I suppose you can beat yourself up for not meaning it nice, but don't waste too much time on it.

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  15. Forgive yourself Linda. You are human.

    Much more excitingly, what about the bowl, where is that leading your creative thoughts?

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  16. Great bowl for slumping or humping!

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  17. Hi Elna, thanks, everyone is using the word strange, which I find strange. Ha.

    Hi Turquoisemoon, thanks, I think you are right I find myself angry some of the time due to the state of the economy, rising costs, and us always having to worry about paying the bills, I guess I should have more patience with folks they are probably worse off than I am.

    Hi Meredith, thanks, a job to wait in line, hum, maybe I could do that for some extra cash, I could use it.

    Hi Barbara, thanks, I probably will remember because I have one of those types of memories. You know you are right there seems to be a lots of taxes on emotions the older I get, I've got to learn to let it all go somehow.

    Hi Ms. Sparrow, thanks, I am glad I posted this, I am learning a lot from the experience and talking about it.

    Hi Mary, thanks, not full disclosure if I did that folks would run away quickly, I only release a little at a time Ha.

    Hi Michele, thanks, I need to look into the line standing job, but then again I don't think my back would handle standing on the hard surfaces that long, maybe there is a line sitting job I can do. Ha.

    Hi Elephant's Child, thanks, well I felt bad anyway. I did want to say more, you guessed that right. It is a nice bowl.

    Hi Joanne, thanks, no I do waste more time than I should feeling bad about some things. Good advice there.

    HI Elaine, thanks, I'll forget about it soon I hope. Not sure how, about the bowl, but it will definitely be put to use very soon.

    Hi Mariane, thanks, isn't it a great shape. Hard to find a flat bottomed bowl, most are rounded or have feet and can't be used for humping.

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