A Reward As Sweet As Marshmallows

A couple of days ago, I was looking for bargains at our local [Grocery Store], a US chain that specializes in procuring overstock items, factory seconds, and closeout items from name brands and private-label suppliers.

I love shopping there, as one never knows what might be available on any given day, and the prices are usually much lower than what the items originally sold for.

My concentration was broken, though, when I heard a thud and the sound of falling merchandise at the end of the aisle I was shopping in. I looked up to see a woman about the same age as me (in her seventies) who had accidentally clipped a cardboard display with her cart, knocking it over and scattering bags of marshmallows down the aisle. The woman looked shocked.

Me: “Here, let me help you with that.”

I stood the display back up, and she and I corralled all the escaped bags of puffy goodness and stacked them back up like they had been. It only took us a couple of minutes. When we were done we exchanged, “Have a good day,” smiled at each other, and went our respective ways.

I didn’t think any more of it. I finished shopping and found myself standing at the back of one of the long, busy checkout lines behind several other shoppers with full carts.

Suddenly, a clerk appeared at my elbow and indicated that I should bring my cart and follow her over to one of the closed registers, where she motioned me to unload my cart. “Cool,” I thought. “They are opening up another register.” So, I went to grab the “This Lane Is Closed” sign to hand it to her.

Employee: “No, just leave that there”.

It was then that the light bulb came on in my brain. They were temporarily opening up a register just for me. This VIP treatment had to be the store’s way of thanking me for helping that lady.

That was just so cool. It still puts a smile on this old face.