A BREATH OF FRESH AIR AT THE DRUG STORE

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR AT THE DRUG STORE

By Andy Weddington

Saturday, 16 January 2021

There is no medicine like hope.  - Orison Swett Marden

Sick of politics? 

Hope so. 

Me too.

Fittingly, today fresh air and a drug store to the rescue.

Not an hour after writing commentary this morning, about politics, I climbed into the "chick magnet" (2005 minivan - so christened by an Army neighbor a few years ago) to visit family with interim stop at one of the big chain drug stores.

Three items totaling little more than $8.00.

Perfect! I had a $10.00. 

Standing on the appropriate six feet social distance line on the floor, I was next after the customer being served. 

A sign posted on the plexiglass between cashier and customer read: Exact cash or card only. 

Crap. 

The cashier was a young girl not out of her teens. 

Her female customer was at least 70 years older. 

They did not share race.

The transaction was taking a long time.

I was close enough to hear conversation, that went round and round, about coupons.

Confusion. 

So the cashier called her manager.

The manager, female too, was between their ages and not of either race. 

America!

The manager politely listened to the problem, addressed the coupons, and set about resolving the disputed total.

The elder woman repeated herself. And repeated. And repeated. Same words. 

The manager reassured her she understood and quickly came to the amount due. 

The customer agreed and the cashier completed the transaction. 

Returning to her store duties, the manager cordially thanked me and the growing line for our patience. 

Not a big deal, of course. 

As the cashier and customer were finishing up I heard the customer again repeat two or three times the exact words she had previously said about the coupons.

The cashier looked confused but smiled and thanked her and she was on her way. 

What I witnessed lasted about 10 minutes - for what normally would have been a 2 minutes at best transaction.

At the counter I could see the cashier looked a bit flustered but relieved.

To her, "You handled that beautifully! Just guessing but from what I heard and observed, she has dementia and probably Alzheimer's Disease."

Her face, now understanding, said it all but she said, "Oh no. Oh no. That must he terrible to live with." 

"Yes, it is. You have no idea. Thank you for your patience, how you treated her."

Then I hustled out for running late.  

On top of fresh air that unscripted few minutes in the drug store was just the medicine needed.

Hope. 

There's a lot of fine people in the world. 

They, not the poison, deserve the airtime.

And so I write about them, too, every chance I get. 

Keep the faith!