For the Checkout Assistant Who Left Me Totally Speechless – I Salute You

It was a weekend morning, and I felt grumpy enough, filling up my mum’s car. This was a common fuel stop that operates as a supermarket, so you run the risk of ending up in line customers carrying goods of somewhat expensive items. It's an awful situation to occur when your only desire is to pay for some fuel. Terrible.

I was fourth among those waiting. There was only cashier operating, a female attendant. There was something unusual about her. After the ditherer at the front of the queue had finally paid for a cleaning product, a baked snack, and his box of eggs, It seemed to me overhearing the cashier bid him a wonderful day. Unusual. Maybe it was a mistake, or maybe she did say it and was being sarcastic. I wondered if she could even be an ally in the war on delays, reflecting my irritation for people who hold up people just getting gas such as myself.

I moved up, becoming the third customer. The new leader of our line discharged her fuel-only transaction with impressive quickness. Again, the phrase came: “Wishing you a marvelous day.” In fact, it was “have a wonderful day”. A stateside native? In Stourbridge? Her tone suggested it, and no British person wishes anyone such a cheerful phrase, or merely a pleasant day. Quite out of place. It's uncommon to find people from America frequenting this area, and definitely not employed at gas stations or elsewhere.

Now I stood second. Behind a poor older woman engaged in a right old battle with her shopping cart, her groceries, her wallet and her loyalty card. This took an eternity. When she was done, she too got told to have a fantastic day. Definitely from the US. I could have confirmed it by saying something hilarious to her, to check for that thing when they look at you, unsmilingly, and state very earnestly: “You are very amusing.” But I couldn’t think of a jest to utter.

I just had to settle the genuine warmth – or a mimicry of sincerity, that equates to identical in effect – as she gazed me right in the eye, deep into my soul, and told me an awesome day. I felt better for it. Beneficial indeed.