Those of you who have had to deal with the public know this is true. For those of you who haven’t, I’ll do my best to portray late-night grocery duties as accurately as possible. 

My sleepy hometown had more than one grocery store, but of course, I picked the mom and pop store to apply to. Little did I know that Walmart would have been just as bad. I still can’t believe those words are coming out of my mouth. Walmart, where people are constantly in the way, is just as bad as a small-town grocery store. 

It really came down to the people. There were the people who didn’t have time to drive elsewhere. These people were quick: in and out with a cup of coffee in each hand. No words, just rush.  

There were also genuinely nice people. I would chat with them as I took their groceries out to their car. Yes, it was a little old-fashioned, but they would give me a tip sometimes. It was a win-win for me.

There will always be bad apples, whether you shop at Walmart or any other place. I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share while shopping. Karen screaming for a manager. Brenda demanding that you accept a coupon that’s two years, four months and twelve days expired. I bet you’re thinking, “Damn. Glad I don’t have to deal with that.”

I Dealt With This For Three Years 

All of this is manageable. After a certain point, I learned how to ignore these people and stay calm. Not to say I was perfect like Danny Devito. There was still one woman who got on my nerves. 

The store closed every night at ten. She was a regular, so she knew this. About once a week, she would come in ten minutes before closing. This isn’t so bad on its own. I’ve done it before, so I do the polite thing: grab my things and hurry out the door. This lady would shop like she hadn’t had a drop of milk in her house in three days. 

She’d end up leaving around 10:30 p.m., and we could finally close the store. Sure, I saw a little extra money in my paycheck, but I could have been playing “Call of Duty.” 

Speaking of closing up, have you ever mopped a floor until your hands were raw? For the first two years I worked at this store, we would have to mop the entire floor manually. Trust me, this store was on the bigger end of mom and pop stores. Think a decently sized Piggly Wiggly. 

It wasn’t until about a year before I left that we got a machine that mopped the floor for us. All I had to do was drive the thing!

Besides the floors, we also had to clean the bathrooms. I’ll spare you the details on that little bit.

I loved working there. I wouldn’t trade getting soaked in the rain as I carried groceries to a car for the world. It was the best job I’ve ever had.