The Visit

Sunday, June 23, 2024

The very warm weather yesterday nearly overpowered both inside and outside. After having long waited for the natural warmth, I didn’t much mind, wasn’t about to complain, and instead said, “Bring more on!”

The aging large structure where I work part-time has inadequate air conditioning. My role in Fine Jewelry sales has a “dress code.” It requires wearing a jacket. This hot weather will have me challenging that current-day bit of meaninglessness.

I won’t do anything but follow every single rule before next week when a Very Big Gun visits our store. Yes, this relatively small store will soon host a major executive. On that day of brief examination, we will be mindful of keeping our areas tidy and being on our toes. Of course, we do those anyway, but to us, that visit represents a semi-grand “pomp and circumstances” event. We will be in a collective “steriod-like” attentiveness; I’ll wear an extra-special jacket.

Thankfully, pomp and circumstance occur often. They are important to keeping our store viable. Special occasions like business meetings, weddings, dances, graduations, and so on, are formal commitments. They encourage “the committed” to shop at our store which carries occasion-appropriate clothing and accessories.

We can see all around that the retail business is changing rapidly. Especially, we see retail moving away from brick-and-mortar stores and focusing more on selling online. This change is called “the Amazon effect.” (Amazon’s popularity, ease, and profitability are impacting all of retail, and much of the computer world [e.g., AI’s seemingly unlimited possibilities]).

As usual, I digress. Little telling how “liking heat and disliking jackets” guided me to Amazon.

Dear Friends: My thoughts often take unexpected turns. Diana