I'll start with the moral of the story: FOR THE LOVE, PLEASE BE KIND!!!! So, what's on my mind that is keeping me awake? When I got home from work tonight, I was texting two people. Both of them asked me how work went. My response to each was something along the lines of, "Eh. It was just another day. Nothing too exciting. Just customers getting ruder by the day." And that is exactly what I'm pondering instead of sleeping. Why is this the new normal? Why are there fewer customers than regular, but more stress, more unkindness, more name calling?
The answer, I'm sure is stress. There are a lot of unknowns right now, but that does not give you the right to be unkind to people. We are all stressed and you lashing out at someone does not make things better. Over the last two days, I have heard my coworkers, myself, and other shoppers being called every name in the book more than I have in the last two years. Why are people calling us these names? Simply because we have the audacity to say things such as, "Would you mind taking a few steps back so that there are at least six feet between you and the person in front of you?"
Allow me to veer for a second and explain why people should not be getting upset by this request.
1) It's the law. If there was a surprise inspection at our store and we were found not to be practicing social distancing, we would be fined and possibly shut down, leaving you without a place to get the things that are so desperate for you to have, that the two seconds longer it takes you to take another couple of steps in line is making you angry.
2) For your own protection. You don't know what germs are around you. You don't know that the person coughing behind you isn't spreading Corona to you. You don't know if you're asymptomatic and possibly spreading it to others around you.
3) Out of a general sense of respect for those around you. Even if you think this whole pandemic has been blown out of proportion and you are not at risk, chances are the people around you feel differently. You don't know what health conditions they may have or what fear they live in surrounding this. So especially, if another customer asks you to step back, just do it out of respect for them.
Okay, back to the topic at hand. Another reason people are upset? Because I have to inform them that I am no longer allowed to handle their reusable bags (for my own protection) and if they would like to use them, they are more than welcome, but will have to bag their own groceries in them. Moat people are beyond understanding and super kind about this one, but some people have gone off the rails! We are literally putting our health and our family's health at risk to be here, touching many things every day, and this one thing that we ask of you is worth losing your mind over? I think not.
I do have to point out that while things in the world are getting more stressful and people are taking it out on everyone they encounter when the smallest thing doesn't go their way, I have also seen some people going out of their way to be kind. And these times are a bright spot in my day. I have also never been thanked more for coming to work and helping people. I have never been told more that people are praying for me and appreciate me. Unfortunately, this still isn't the majority of customers, and it does seem to be getting worse every day.
Some things to remember when you go to the store for you essential (and only essentials, please):
The people working are also stressed.
We are also scared.
We worry about our health every day.
We have families that we worry about exposing to things we may not realize we have come into contact with.
We are lonely too.
We are exhausted.
We don't know when life will get back to "normal".
We don't know when toilet paper will be fully stocked again.
We don't have a secret stash of hand sanitizer or Lysol spray that we're hiding from you.
We still have to keep smiling and putting one foot in front of the other, regardless of how you treat us.
Our mental health and emotions have been on a wild rollercoaster for several weeks now.
Please, please, please, be kind to those who are providing you with your essential needs. And please keep us in your prayers. Thank you.
