i must admit- i hate shopping; trying to avoid any forms of marketing, queues, people who by acident pushing you in every directions, choices between fasion ‘a’ and fasion ‘b’, reduced sales with hidden reasons, etc. but recently, to be honest, i like shopping a little bit more as there is something, what in other areas of life might soon disappear, dissolve and dismiss.
i’m talking about politeness.
i live very close to supermarket which sales various of products in low prices. fortunately it is a supermarket which sales various products in low prices and good qualities. when im passing the gate i can see big board with notice: welcome, enjoy your shopping with us. next to the entrance door is waiting shop security guard, who invites me with big smile inside. as the supermarket doesnt provide baskets, trolleys only, shop assistant offers me some cupboard boxes, so i can easily put my stuff inside. sometimes i notice missing prices next to the products- shop assistant is leaving his job immediately and in few seconds is able to help me. when i’m approaching a cash desk, cashier is asking politely: hello, how are you? then at least four times thank me for shopping. when i’m leaving the supermarket, big board notice is saying: thank you for shopping with us. i have a big smile on my face, even if it is raining outside.
mrs adams works in a school. she wakes up around 6 am everyday. she takes a bus to work, as she doesnt have a driving lessons yet. to prevent being late she takes a bus at seven oclock at the morning. she arrives to school half past seven. children love mrs adams. she has got big understanding of their needs, weaknesses and strong points. parents like mrs adams as well. sometimes they invite mrs adams for sunday roast or cup of coffee. mrs adams is well educated, she finished university with very high score. mrs adams doesn’t talk much, she prefers to listen to.
on wednesday mrs adams as usually took the bus to the school at seven am. unfortunately there was an accident on the road, so bus was waiting for road to be clear up. it took about forty minutes to be done, so mrs adams who knew she was going to be late made a phone call to the school. answer the head of the school. she explain her situation, but the manager wasn’t happy at all. he asked mrs adams to come to his office as soon as she arrive to the school.
she arrived to the school twenty past eight, rushing towards the head of school office. school manager was still very angry. ‘you cannot be late, Mrs adams’, he said, ‘if it is happen again you fired!’, he shouted. Mrs adams went to the classroom. she wasn’t able to lead the lesson. she felt so embarrassed, humiliated and immersed. next day he brought a leaving notice. head of the school was very surprised.
how may times nobody thank you for hard job which you doing? how many times people ignored your opinion? how many times you have been embarast, humiliated and immersed? how many times somebody limited your freedom and individuality?
i must admit- i still hate shopping, but there is something what making me happier about going to the local supermarket, there is something what in other areas of life might disappear, dissolve and dismiss very soon.
polite perspective of life.
It takes just a moment to give a smile and it costs nothing, we try to shop in the small shops where we always are acknowledged that we are real people.The head of that school treated his staff as a commodity not as people, he was not fit for purpose.