(It is well known at my store that I am a fan of anime, because I often wear hair ribbons or pins related to different series. The manager is as well, but she just displays it with a lanyard of soot sprites. At this time, I’m copying the schedule for the first week of the new year into my phone while she checks out a customer.)

Manager: “Hey, [My Name], do you like [Animated Movie]?”

Me: “Well, it’s one of the many by [Movie Director] I haven’t seen yet.”

Manager: *knowing smile* “[Nearby Theater] is showing it on the 5th, at 7 pm. Subbed. And it’s just $12.”

Me: “Okay, thanks!”

(It wasn’t until I walked out of the store and checked the schedule I just copied down for that date that I realized she scheduled me to get out of work an hour earlier than the time the movie starts so I could go see it. Best. Manager. Ever.)

(I work as a hostess at a bustling Italian restaurant and bar. I have just dealt with some a**hole customers, when I see a lady waiting at the host stand. She has been waiting there for a few minutes, because I have been too busy running around to help her right away. I go to the host stand, certain that she is going to complain. She looks at me with a serious expression on her face.)

Lady: “I just had to tell you…”

(I brace myself.)

Lady: “…that that was the best pizza I have ever eaten. We had such a good time; thank you so much!”

(I was so relieved and touched that she would stand there and wait all that time just to tell me that. It really put a smile on my face.)

(In our neighborhood lives a mockingbird who used to drive me crazy. I can only tolerate him now because he learned a new phrase from some kids playing Star Wars:)

Mockingbird: “Jar Jar BINKS! Jar Jar BINKS! Pew! Pew! Pew!”

(Imagining Jar Jar being shot is satisfying in itself. Add in the amusement factor of a literal birdbrain understanding how very irritating Jar Jar is, and it makes me smile every time.)

(As a 16-year-old with her first job, I am still learning what is expected and accepted in the food service industry. I sell cookies in a mall, and we have two locations: the larger main store and the smaller kiosk, down at the other end.  During my third week on the job, I am walking down to the kiosk with my shift leader when we notice smoke pouring out of a shoe store three stores down from the kiosk. Later, after the alarm goes off:)

Shift Leader: “[My Name], I’m going to get the cash drawer, and then we’re going to leave. They’re evacuating this entire wing of the mall.”

Me: “All right, but there’s a customer here. What should I do about that?”

Shift Leader: “Just get rid of them. We have to go.”

Me: “Hi, sorry to inconvenience you, but we can’t sell cookies at this time. The mall’s on fire.”

Customer: “That’s okay, sweetie; I’m just here for some samples.”

(The customer then proceeded to take about five samples, about half a cookie’s worth, and left. And the best part of the entire experience? Two wings of the mall closed and they didn’t shut the mall down. My other coworker kept screaming, “I don’t wanna work in a burning building!”)

I’m sitting in my car outside a plaza, waiting on my friend who is shopping inside a grocery store. I hear a cart being wheeled towards me and look over to see a man, who I just saw walk out of the store with groceries, driving his car while simultaneously holding onto his cart and dragging it next to him.

He pulls up a ways in front of me, and I think he’s going to get out and walk the cart to the cart return in front of the store. Nope. He lets the cart go, in the middle of the road, and drives away.

I sit there in disbelief. If not for my child in the car I would go move it myself, but I see a couple walking up to the store and think that surely they’ll move it. Nope. They glance at it, grab a cart from the cart return, and go into the store. Another woman walks by, moves around the cart, and keeps walking towards the store. The automatic doors open and she promptly walks into the glass window next to the door.

Days later, I’m still wondering what the heck was going on with those people.