It cracks me up that Rich wrote a post about “have a nice day.” I have been writing one in my head called “have a great weekend.” We haven’t discussed this much and I had no idea he was writing about it.
There is this new trend with retail sales people to inquire, with great enthusiasm, “How is your day going? Have any great plans for the weekend?” For quite awhile I have been bristling inside when I hear these platitudes. Besides feeling insincere, as if their employers have scripted the statements and demanded the employees say them, they actually feel intrusive. I have found myself not wanting to go through Dutch Bros Coffee or through the line at Holiday Market because both of these places have this practice firmly in place. I’m tired of lying and acting like things are wonderful and at the same time do not want to tell strangers the situation we are going through.
A few weeks ago, I was in the Verizon Wireless store replacing my phone when the sales person began the “are you having a great day … any plans for the weekend” commentary. I started off saying, “nah, nothing special.” When she began, “oh come on, you must have something fun planned,” I said, “actually my husband is very ill and making plans right now isn’t possible.” I thought that would put an end to the diatribe. She went on to sympathetically inquire, “oh I’m sorry, does he have the flu or something?” Maybe I cracked a little, but I sweetly replied, “No, he has a terminal brain disease and things have been really bad.” She started stuttering a bit. I don’t know what she said after that.