One of my To Dos for today was to get supplies at the store for tomorrow's work. I had no desire to go out while the streets were snow covered, so I amused myself all morning by working on dinner and playing on the computer. After lunch I took the recycling to the communal bin and ran into my neighbor coming in from the garage. She said she had no trouble driving, so I decided I could go out too.
At the store I knew exactly what I needed. I grabbed my supplies and headed toward the checkout. The conventional lines were very long so I moved over to the self-serve area. There, the female attendant directed me to a machine and I started scanning my items. One of them was supposed to be on clearance but rang up at a higher price. Attendant was helping someone else so I completed the purchase and figured I would have to go to the Customer Service area to complain.
Just about that time Attendant came back to her station and I started to ask her about the price discrepancy. However, I took a look at her name tag, and a good look at her face, and realized I knew her. We had both worked at the mall Customer Service desk from 2011 until I left in 2014. Back then Attendant had a day job and worked at the desk on nights and weekends. Our schedules didn't overlap a lot, but enough that I got to know her pretty well. She was about my age, and the only one of the desk staff who also had grown children.
After we spent a couple of minutes catching up, Attendant asked me if I had heard about our boss passing away last spring. I had not. We talked a little bit about how shocking the news was. Boss would have been in his mid-40s, but had some preexisting health conditions. I would have liked to chat longer, but there was another customer that needed assistance, so I said goodbye.
As I walked away I realized that my being at that part of that store at that time was no accident. I was meant to be there so I could run into someone I knew and hear about someone else I knew.
Five years ago: A Chair Massage Like No Other
So sad to hear of anyone so young passing on, nice you got to reconnect with a former colleague. Hope the next time you two meet there is better news to exchange.
ReplyDeleteAs for snow, I hear you not wanting to drive in the snow. Coming home from work tonight the highways were drifting with snow. Thankfully the lane I was travelling in was at a reduced speed, while the other lane they flew by those of us who are more cautious drivers. On my list of things I have had enough of, Covid is at the top of this list, winter is running neck and neck with it.
The woman told me she's getting a lot of hours at the store, so there's a good chance I'll be seeing her again.
DeleteWe've been very light on winter weather this year; this is only the second measurable snow we've gotten so far.
It has been a pretty mild winter thus far on this end as well, until this past week and we sure got it. The warmest I think it's been was -20 and adding in the windchill makes it that much colder as you're well aware.
DeleteGlad you were ok in the snow and nice chance meeting.
ReplyDeleteWe used to have more chance meetings like that, didn't we, pre pandemic? I miss running into acquaintances when I'm out. Last week we learned that a colleague died. He was much older than me and retired about the time I was getting started teaching. But, we lived in the same area of town so I would occasionally run into him at different places and we would stand and talk for a half hour, catching up on all the people we both knew. I really miss that.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait until our socialization can go back to normal.
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