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The Fletcher House is the 2015 Ramage Family Project. We will be designing, building, and decorating a Second Empire style dollhouse in 1/12th scale. This blog will chronicle our successes, our failures, and general chaos and pandemonium.....

07 January 2013

Those Pearls...

Dear Wal Mart check out girl:
I applaud you. You are young, efficient, and a (abnormal for Wal Mart) polite check out girl. Our transaction was smooth and quick. But I saw in your eyes, that beaten down look that has haunted me all weekend. I wonder how many times a day you must ask, "Would you like your milk in a bag?" and shudder. In my mind, you are a college girl, just working at Wal Mart temporarily (I hope). Because I usually don't pay much attention to who checks me out. But you, dear Wal Mart girl, you are different, because of those pearls. While standing in line, I couldn't take my mind off those (obviously real) pearls around your neck. Unlike most employees at Wal Mart, your navy blue shirt fits perfectly, and you are wearing the obligatory khaki pants, but they are NICE pants, not the too skinny butt crack or fat roll showing pants, but pants that are appropriate for work. But it's those pearls around your neck that caught my eye. Those pearls tell a story. They tell me that you care. They tell me that you want to make some attempt at being chic, stylish, and posh. They tell me that even though you work for a company that treats it's employees like dirt under a worn out shoe, you want to make an effort. A difference. That you are going places. I like to think that those pearls are a family heirloom, passed down to you from an old grandmother who used to bake you cookies and teach you how to sew when you were a little girl. I like to think, that because you wear pearls around your neck while making minimum wage and probably don't get health insurance, that you will rise up, that you will eventually have a career that doesn't involve retail or conveyor belts or weighing produce. Keep wearing those pearls, Wal Mart girl. Let them take you places. Let them remind you that there are better jobs out there, that there is a lot to be said for a strong work ethic and pride in appearance. I applaud you, Wal Mart check out girl. And don't take those pearls off. Ever.

1 comment:

  1. I like this. Reminded me of the few weeks I spent working in a supermarket. It was at Christmas and to cheer everyone up I strung christmas lights all over my till one morning. That day I had longest queues of anyone, probably because I was chatting to all the customers. At least on my till they had happy faces. Of course the girl with the pearls might be the Chief Executive of Wall Mart ...

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