Yesterday was not a great day. I’d had a long day at work and then a crappy commute, full of traffic and horrible drivers. When I finally pulled into the grocery store parking lot to pick up a few things before going home I was exhausted. I was returning home to a dog with an upset stomach and a sneeze, and a husband with a sinus infection. I rushed through the store finding what I needed for homemade soup and looked in vain for some canned pumpkin for the dog- damn you national pumpkin shortage! (Canned pumpkin has mythical properties of the good variety for dogs with upset digestive tracks!)

I found an open check out lane and was met by an older woman who looked downright unhappy. She was slow and cold, each move taking longer than it could have. I tapped my foot inpatiently. As the total purchase price went up I became more annoyed as I had spent more than I wanted to. Slowly she finished my order and gave me my total. I paid, quickly, and then turned. My chicken was still on the conveyor belt. “Is that my chicken? Did I pay for it?” I asked. She looked up, her eyes grew wide. She apologized and slowly rang my chicken up. I became even more impatient. I then looked down and realized she’d ignored the bags from home that I’d shown her and had been bagging my groceries in plastic sacks. “Can we use the bags I brought?” I asked snappily. She looked up and her lip trembled.

I’d been reaching into my purse to impatiently (and rudely) tap away on my twee iphone keyboard, to the likes of B or Twitter or Facebook.

But then, I stopped. I put the phone away. “It’s ok!” I said with a smile.

She looked up, hopeful. “I’m just having a rough day I guess. I’ve done your whole order wrong” she had a sad, tired look on her face.

“That’s ok- we all have long days. Here, let me help you. Don’t worry about the bags. I’ll use the plastic ones.”

She laughed a little, “I can’t wait to go home tonight” she said.

“Me too. I have some sick guys at home” I responded.

We continued the conversation and as I walked away I heard her greet the customer behind me with a little more pep in her voice.  I realized, had I walked out with my phone in hand, sighing mightily at my inconvenience I might have ruined her evening – she certainly wasn’t having a good day. But the extra moments I took to reassure her that it was ok, and her positive response reminded me that sometimes, in the midst of it all, we must remember that on the other side of the exchange is a human being. That, and sometimes I need to remember to put down my phone, my email or what have you and take a minute to remember that we are all on a long road somewhere.