You reap what you sow
Remember the supermarket check out girl that was rude to me when I'd just come back from a trip abroad? I've been avoiding her till ever since. I don't like her face. She looks like an angry sow, and that's how she treats the customers too. Except the ones she likes. To be in her favour, you have to grovel.
I tried it today. Despite feeling dead beat, I stood up straight, put on a smile and approached her line.
She was helping a Scottish bloke, who asked for a few coins in change, rather than a note.
'How many coins do you want?', she said.
The Scotsman, self effasive and polite replied: 'Oh, just a couple will be fine.'
'HOW MANY EXACTLY,' she insisted, '2? 10?'
Taken aback, the Scotsman mumbled: '10... thank you.'
She dumped the coins in his hand and muttered something about people being so damn impolite.
A quiet tall Dutchman was next. He took a while getting his money ready. Meanwhile, sow woman played with the roley bits of the counter. Gave them a spin. And another spin, still talking to herself. '... bloody mood. I'm tired. But I'm NOT in a mood. Oh no.' She gave the quiet tall Dutchman a withering look as he filed out of the shop.
It was my turn. I smiled some more, sending out 'positive vibes'.
'Everybody's in a bloody mood today,' she complained.
'Not me!', I quipped and gave her my sweetest grin.
That earned me the following conversation:
'I can see that!,' she said enthusiastically, 'I KNOW people. I can tell by your eyes. I look people straight in the eye all day.'
She pointed at her eyes. Here!
'Sow,' I thought as I faked another friendly smile, 'you have a nasty face and you're a sow.'
'I can see who's happy in themselves. And I can see who needs to work on themselves some more. You see, I worked on myself. I was depressed and moody once. But I worked on myself, and I found my strength. I found my inner strength... and power. I 'm empowered.'
I nodded. My cheeks hurt from faux smiling so much.
'You are a happy person. It's obvious,' she concluded, handing me my receipt.
Very.