Upon learning that I would be returning to work the day after our flight back from Argentina, a fellow student on the trip made an observation that I have been reflecting on for the past few days: we never can fully know the stories of the everyday people with which we come into contact.
Who knows if the store clerk has just returned from a wonderful adventure? Who knows what is happening in the lives of the people we pass on the street?
Working behind a cash register gives me a chance to talk to some people that I would otherwise probably have never noticed. Just in the past few days, some amazing characters have come through my line.
One old man purchased a cart full of items and could remember the exact price of every item he placed on my counter. I wonder what his story is.
One woman was buying sunless tanner for her husband, who was preparing to embark on a trip to Pakistan with another man from their church. He was changing his entire appearance in order to blend into the culture. I wonder what their story is.
One man had an amputated arm. Another was missing multiple fingers. I wonder what their stories are.
Another lady bought five or six large bags of M&Ms, each a different kind. Upon further questioning, I found out that she was using them in a team building exercise, comparing different personality types to different kinds of M&Ms. What a neat story!
The stories are endless. Everybody has a story. I wish I could listen to them all.
Y'know, I sometimes write my own stories for passersby or for random people I see in photographs.It's a fun exercise. :)
ReplyDelete