Humanity

Friday, October 16, 2020

Working at Costco, I find most customers happy that we sample servers again are working, even if we mostly don’t serve samples. Instead, we show products and describe them. Occasionally, like yesterday, someone who appears becomes abusive. A customer I didn’t recognize became indignant when I couldn’t let her sample a pumpkin dip. She angrily waved her hand at me and yelled, “They’re paying you to do this!” I nodded as she stomped away. A woman nearby muttered, “She was so rude!”

What’s usual is that customers tease us. They see us standing around, appearing not doing much. Actually, even without cooking and handing out samples, our presence generates product sales. I have fun interacting with customers, figuring out who might accept encouragement to purchase a product and who would prefer being left alone.

Weeks ago, a woman pushing a cart had a couple of books in it. I asked what she was reading. It turned out mysteries. Anyway, the books got us talking and moseyed on to our families. We both were highly influenced by elder siblings. She has a sister nine years older, and I did have a sister nine years older. Her sister, now in her mid-eighties, is a wannabe writer. That made me mention the artist-poet Sarah Yerkes. She published her first book of poetry at the grand old age of one-hundred-years. I love Yerkes’ book, often give it to friends, and refer lots to it.

During her early years, Yerkes was an accomplished artist who designed landscapes and later became a sculpuress. In old age, on joining a beginning poetry group and already with a solid grasp on structure and form, she quickly understood how to write poems. What makes her work unique are her views of the past, her musings about relationships and work–what she did well, might have done better, and couldn’t have altered. Reading her book is as close as I’ll ever come to talking, really talking with a very senior, still highly alert individual. Sarah Yerkes is wise and reflects.

Recently, a woman stopped me in the aisle saying she’d read the book I had recommended. In a moment I clicked in, delighted that she had heard and acted. She had enjoyed reading Yerkes and intends to send her sister the book as an encouragement to continue writing.

She and I are among Sarah Yerkes’ circle of appreciators. Our own circle, which consisted of two meetings, basically reinforced why folks talk. Little else influences as greatly as exchanged thoughts and ideas. Spoken exchanges equate to mental and emotional handshakes.

Dear Friends: While out and about, the “goods” overcome occasional “bads”. Diana