an encounter with a woman on dubious intelligence, and a gift certificate
13 February 2005-12:20 a.m.
I love working with the public. There are days when I go home and say a little prayer, thankful that I'm not stupid.
That sounds harsh. I don't mean it to be. I refuse to say that I'm not dumb. Everybody has dumb moments. Life is far to complicated to know everything. However, every once in a while we get a customer that exceeds dumb. They are not having a moment. They are having a lifetime. I'm a amazed that they managed to drive a car to the store and not injure themselves or those around them.
I'd love to tell you what this one particular woman was looking for, but I can't. I still don't know. The conversation went something like this:
Me: *sees woman typing lots of things into computer* Can I help you find something?
Woman: *waves CD around* I'm trying to use this. I put in the information. Is this TI? It is Right? *holds out CD that is by someone called TI*
Me: Yes, um what are you looking for? *notices that she has filled in all the fields with information off the cd she is alreadying holding. Clearly she can't be looking for this cd. She has it already*
Woman: I'm trying to use this *gestures at computer* Don't you use this? To do stuff?
Me: You use it to look for things that you need help finding. Are you looking for this song? *points at computer*
Woman: yeah, that song?
Me: It's on this CD *holds up CD* This one you have here. *knows that one of us isn't making sense. I don't think it's me.*
Woman:...
Me:That song, is on this cd, which you have here? Is that what you are looking for?
Woman:... I don't know how to use this? Don't you have to use it?
We stare at each other for a moment. I think at this point we both know that communication is never gonna happen. I smile and walk off. I still don't quite know what happened, or what she was looking for. As it was put to me later, she actually made you dumber just by talking to you. I think she might have. I'm sure some brain cells were lost in that discussion.
As for the rest of my job I enjoy it very much, I just wish it payed better. They do, from time to time, make it worth my while. I admit it that I am easily bribed. Gift certificates to use in the store however I like make me happy. Especially if there are several things I've been looking at getting.
I want to read some Thomas Merton. I was hoping that we had Seven Story Mountain but unfortunately we don't. We do have a collection of his "essential writings" that I think I might pick up. Also Brian Greene's new book about space-time is out in paperback and I've been looking at it with longing since it went on display. I'm not sure how much of it I'll understand, which is why I would like to own it, rather than check it out. It may take me a while, and I think it's one of those books that needs to be written in. And then there is always some PTerry to pick up. As I said so much to choose from.
When getting a gift certificate is the most exciting thing going on in your life, there isn't much you can do to make it interesting. *looks around* I don't even know if there's anybody who reads this anymore.