I Was A Jerk At Sartell Walmart (So I Apologized)
I really don't appreciate having to show my receipt every time I leave Walmart. I have never shoplifted in my life and I work hard for the money I have CHOSEN to spend at the store.
After wandering around the store while wrangling a toddler, unloading my cart and paying for all of the items, the last thing I should have to do is prove that I DIDN'T steal something. Especially when the store's cashier was the one that rang me up, as opposed to the self checkout.
A few weeks ago I was in a hurry and I stopped to buy two or three cheap things. Think paper plates, napkins, etc. Not an Xbox, big screen TV or jewelry.
On my way out the door the guy standing there made me show my receipt and it threw me into a bit of a mini-rage. I just don't appreciate being made to feel like a criminal after I paid for all my stuff.
I asked him if he thought I was trying to steal all of the stuff or just some of it and I asked him what it was about me that made him decide I was a criminal as opposed to the three people he let go by without even looking.
Basically, I was a huge jerk to this poor guy standing at the front door making probably minimum wage. He didn't deserve to be the target of my anger.
I was still seething when I went out to my car and loaded up my stuff. That's when the sentiment of the previous paragraph really hit me and I decided to suck up my pride, march my butt back into the store and apologize to that man.
"I am sorry I was rude to you before. I realize you are just doing your job and that you probably wish you didn't have to do it. I sincerely apologize, hope you forgive me and have a great day. Again, I am sorry."
After a long pause he said "God bless you." That's it. He didn't yell back at me, he didn't tell me how awful I was (even though I CLEARLY was), nothing. Just "God bless you."
I think about this interaction all of the time. How many times have we blown up on someone for something that really had nothing to do with them? And how often to we humble ourselves to admit we were actually in the wrong? I know I don't do it nearly often enough.
Everyone is fighting their own battles.