What a Cashier is REALLY doing When They are Ringing You Up

Stocking and replenishing shelves and ringing up items for people has the potential to have a high boredom factor. As such, I have found myself day dreaming, observing and making up potential stories and scenarios of customers based on the items they purchase, their appearance, the people they are with and/or the little bits of information that they give me.

Example #1: The other day I rang up items for a woman who was dressed to the nine, had the perfect body, hair, nails, etc. and she was purchasing some Christmas cards. I noticed that the front on one of them said "Merry Christmas to my man", and then I noticed that she had this huge rock on her finger. In the course of that 1 minute, I wondered what her fiancee/husband did for a living, and I wondered if he appreciated her as much as  she appreciated him. I then found myself wondering about how he proposed to her, and then started dreaming about my future marriage proposal. All in about a minute.

Example #2: Yesterday I had a woman come through my lane who looked absolutely exhausted. Bags underneath eyes, sweat pants, and disheveled hair. Her purchase? Diapers, wipes, $1.00 Christmas crap from our "one spot" and at least 4 bags of Christmas candy and a Dr. Pepper from our beverage cooler. Need I say more?

Example #3: The most adorable older woman came through my lane with sugar, flour, chocolate chips and at least 12 pairs of printed women's socks. I imagined this sweet little lady stirring up Christmas cookies for her family, and wrapping up little individual boxes with one little pair of socks in each one, so grateful to have found a gift that was "unique, equal and yet were not "all alike"  "

Example #4: This young couple came through my lane and purchased condoms, KY Intense for Him and Her, coke, chips and queso dip. Some purchases don't leave anything to the imagination.

Example #5:  A tall, ruggedly handsome man in his 30's with dirty hands, a wedding band and dressed in construction work type clothes came through my lane and purchased a 120 count box of diapers. I had to stop myself from looking him straight in the eyes, putting my hand on his shoulder, and thanking him for being a real man and provider for his family. I'm guessing he might have avoided my lane on his next trip.

So many different people with so many different stories. When you go through a lane to purchase your items, it may seem like you go through unnoticed, but if your cashier is anything like I am.... an imaginative, passionate, creative and completely bored individual in the midst of transition, just dying to get out of  her current season of life...know that you aren't as invisible as you think you are!