friendly people

I do complain a lot about martinet types and their propensity for making rules. The secretary you know with the post-it note reminders to put the copier paper back in the tray and replace the toner just so, and the coffee machine rules of etiquette, filters, replacement and such. Those people all around. Given an inch, a mile taken. Fiefdoms everywhere here and there, building managers, park managers, all with a streak of control freak, and given real responsibilities, their dictator tendencies manifest. It's only natural.

By contrast all the people I meet face to face are perfectly lovely.

It's amazing. Today, a few errands, and I was so cheered by everyone I encountered. A word, a phrase, was all it took and every single person responded in a friendly and open and gracious way.

I am positioned equidistant between two King Soopers, a grocery store chain here in Colorado. Bean Soopers at 14th and Speer, and Queen Soopers at 9th and Corona, in the local jocular parlance. But don't mention I said that, it is probably not very nice. Parking is a mess at both places so I put off going. But what a delight when I finally do.

"Do you ever buy jumbo eggs?"  Talk about random.

That's all it took. We're examining eggs and picking out the ones most probable to be double. A small group forms, we all agree double-yolk eggs are ace.

I'm blocking a woman and apologize, "I was rapt in the wonderful world of meats."

"Me too!"

"I told this guy I made a steak with blue cheese and he has them with blue cheese in it."

There was a big pile, we both bought some, delighted with the price, and the guy who works there goes, he actually goes, I never heard anything like this, "Thanks for buying my meats."

!

Then cheese. I particularly want Asiago and Gruyere and couldn't find them. It is a very long counter. The guy pointed so I went back, and right there he was, he walked around the entire length and back, so twice, four upon return, just to show me, then carefully explain their general placements. Exceedingly conversational.

"Your trolly is noisy."

"I know!"

See? I don't even have to be well behaved. The customer went on at length about how that would be a good job for somebody, keeping the wheels cleared.

And so on, to the vegetables and checkout. The most cheerful group of checkerouters I have ever encountered. Extraordinary teamwork. A person flew in to unload my cart, Another flew in to help the slow bagger. All four converged to make fast work of it, and exceedingly conversational besides, like a movie where the cartoons whistle while they work. Amazingly impressively cheerful like I live on Happy Planet.

Don't come here. You'll mess it up. Sorry. Its enchantment might not be transferrable.

I feel it important to acknowledge the impressively friendly people in this city. At the haircut place at paying I notice a group of people ready to do business with the receptionist all graciously move back and to the side to allow my passage as if choreographed by plain good manners. Bless all of them. When I talk to them directly about the things that upset me they agree. Although they are part of it. For instance, a woman filled out a form for me a very long one, and we got to the part about race and I said, "You know, that question, that whole line of questioning angers me. It's rude. And it is only government, City, Federal, that asks such rude questions. It's like AOL teenagers asking asl (age sex location) " And none of that changes year to year. And she agreed. When I talk about camera restrictions plus surveilance, they are appalled as I. So as much as I complain about having to provide the exact precise form the little retard needs because she cannot extrapolate from the information provided, no, she needs one exact form with the total even though it hasn't changed, I love them so, in reality, right down to it, they are all very sweet and nice and actually trying to do good in their way. This is a very friendly city.