The Pink Shoe Diaries

Sometimes you come across people in life who just Are Not Having You.

You know what I mean?

I think in general I am pretty easy to like: I'm funny, I can be charming, I like to compliment people. This is even MORE true for people I don't know that well but see fairly often like certain co-workers, the sales person at the liquor store, the waitresses at Fuji.

I am generally used to people picking up what I am putting down.

There is one person in my life on whom my charms fail, who does not find me funny in the least and who in fact wishes I did not exist.


The cashier at the CVS near my work.

Now, as I have mentioned before I have a bit of a CVS addiction and usually go about once a week to pick up neccessities and also things that are not at all neccessary like my 18th tube of lip gloss or some shimmery eye gloss that is 75% off and placed strategically near the register.

Anyway the same woman is always working when I go, and every time she is not at the register when I approach to pay, but rather working on straightening items in the aisles. She insists on making me wait for at least 2 or 3 minutes while she puts the last box of Jujubes in place, and then huffs her way to the register and asks me in the most put-upon voice "Yes, Can I Help You!?". And I always approach her, red CVS card in hand and say cheerily "Yes please, and how are you doing today?".

Silence. Maybe another huff or two.

"Have you been outside? It's SO gorgeous/fantastic/nice out!" I sometimes say, when the weather permits.

This sentiment has been greeted with vacant stares, loud sighs, and one time a mumbled "uh huh, yeah". And when I leave her with a "Have a great day!" she grunts unintelligibly.

But as soon as the person behind me steps up to her she is all lightness and smiles "And how are YOU doing today, ma'am!?". And "Have yourself a wonderful day!".

WTF?

But still, I have persisted, determined for her to like me or at least act like she doesn't wish I was dead. Why the effort? Because why should she hate me for no reason? I give her store lots of money, I am always polite, I don't begrudge her her need to make me wait an extra minute while she shuffles from the candy aisle to the register. So what gives!?

So this morning I roll into CVS before work because I somehow got black shoe polish all over my lavender wrap (lovely, right!?) looking for one of those Tide Pens and I was so pissed off that I ruined my semi new wrap that I couldn't even get it up for the cashier and ask "How are you doing this morning?" and instead was just like "Ugh. Grunt. Grrrr." and didn't even look up at Miss Thing when she rang in my purchase.

When I turned to leave, I hear "Have yourself a GREAT day!" and I turn around and am greeted with a BIG SMILE.

So there you have it. They say you attract more flies with honey than with vinegar but if flies are CVS employees and honey is politeness then bring on the vinegar!

Of course, part of me can admit that she was probably gleeful at my polished (black shoe polished that is) state, made more obvious by my purchasing a Tide To Go Pen. But for now I will just pretend that I have won her over.

And as such I can proceed to ignore her.