Recently I have been impressed by an aspect of shopping that I never noticed before. Disclaimer - I rarely shop, but I used to scrounge a lot around Christmas time for unique stocking stuffers and that takes time and a whole lot of energy. This year I was looking for one specific item for my sister and it required interacting with sales personnel. The gamut of sales personnel is a whole story in itself, but not my point right now!! I'm here with a positive note.
Every time I went beyond the neat straight lines of the inquiry, I got rewarded. I even had an extended conversation with a clerk at a most unlikely store about giving and receiving presents - it was astonishing! It was like there was the tiniest trickle of water flowing, and I just pushed aside one little stone and the trickle became a stream - full of sound and light and completely refreshing!
The other thing that jumped out at me, I spoke to other customers who were either wandering aimlessly in large department stores like I was, or looked to be in the know, and all four times that I ventured beyond my personal space I was again rewarded with humor, understanding, comradery! I just was reminded again how buttoned up we are for the most part. I understood completely how important openness was on a public desk at a library for 33 years. Now I think I have to convey the concept to wherever my steps take me in each day.
I think the world hungers for connection.
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