My fellow cashier commented last night that she has been working at Giant Eagle for six years now. She laughed as she said that she “just took the position temporarily” to supplement the income from her day job. I hired on too, “temporarily” for many reasons… to escape the winter doldrums, to help pay for prescriptions (mine), to have a little extra spending money for the summer -- when I would quit and maybe be rehired in the fall. That was nearly two years ago. (Last year I only took a month off, and I didn’t have to quit the job to do it). I’ve had better jobs… and worse ones. Sometimes the better jobs were the worst ones, if you know what I mean.

I don’t subscribe to the WYSIWYG philosophy. A job is just one facet of life that is visible to others. People have many facets, although a few are “diamonds in the rough“ (some of which may or may not develop facets). Unfortunately, some of our customers see “cashier” and equate it with “uneducated, unskilled labor” and treat us as if we don‘t know anything. Take a look around the next time you’re in my store. Most of us are part-timers. A lot are students at the high school and college level, some are learning trades to take care of you at some point in your life. A few of us even have degrees. For some, this is a second job; for others our primary one. Some of us are retirees. (I, for one, have been through the rat race, and the rats won.) This job is not rocket science -- it’s more like landing on the “Free Parking” spot in Monopoly. Put your brain in “park” and ride out your turn.

Where’s this leading to? (OMG - I just entered the realm of western Pennsylvaniadom by ending my sentence in a preposition). Here’s the equation: Egotistical customer (i.e., “pompous ass“)+ overqualified overachiever=a tear in the fabric of our social structure? Um, not really…

Just be aware that not all people are as they seem. I, for one, am particularly intrigued by the “central business as social meeting-place” aspect of small-town life. Someone just may be gathering intelligence to write that tell-all expose about life in small-town USA. You may even end up as blog fodder. Be forewarned that when you act like a jerk and treat a cashier like a BLBBH (brainless little boo-boo head), expect the 6-year veteran to dish out the dirt about you after you leave the store.

Yep, I’m making a list…