So i don’t know why this happens to me so often but i always get mistaken for an employee everywhere i go.

One time i was in a store where the employees wear red polos and khakis. A woman was eyeing me for quite a while and finally comes up to me.

Woman: do you work here?

*i looked down at my bright purple koolaid shirt, black skinny jeans and combat boots*

Me: Um…no?

Another time was a store where the employees wear blue polos and khakis or black pants. I had on a grey anime shirt, short shorts and flats.

I guess i just have one of those faces.

Alright. So I have been working at this toy store where you make your own stuffed animals for almost 4 years. Never once have I had a customer who got to me. This lady did. Not because of my whole interaction but because of the end.

I had just come back from break and this lady asked for help. She was making a super cute bunny for her niece and wanted it to look special. Of course I show her the outfits, shoes, and lots of accessories because she asked. I assist in getting the stuffed animal dressed for her so she can see how it looks. A few changes happen and then she is ready to make its birth certificate and leave.

Now at this time, as we do several times a year, have a promo going on for gift cards. For ever 25 dollarsnin your purchase, you can get a 10 dollar gift card for 5 dollars. Essentially we are doubling what you give us. We are supposed to ask every time a guest has a before tax total of 25 if they want it. This is where it spiraled.

I ring the lady up, and am making sure it looks perfect by putting it in our signature free box. I give the lady her total (about 80+ dollars) and she pays. She has made a comment during this tim that consisted of “man this can get expensive” to which I replied “I feel you. I own so many myself that I’d be scared to look at how much I’ve spent”. The woman did laugh at my small joke which again put me in a pretty decent place.

But when she asked about the gift cards, I realized my error by forgetting to offer them. Feeling horrible, I apologize and explain the promo to her. I immediately say “my manager is helping someone but would be more than happy to correct my mistake if you would like. She will be ri-” before I could finish, her disgust showed on her face.

“YOU WERE SO BUSY UPSELLING ME YOU FORGOT TO OFFER THEM. ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IT UPSELLING.” I freeze. Not once in almost 4 years had I been yelled at by a customer, or at least not in such an accusing way. I apologize again as the woman starts leaving but she stops (right by my manager too) and stays one more time quite loudly “so busy upselling because all you want is my money”. I couldn’t respond. Next thing I know she storms out.

I stand there baffled at how I was upselling when I had forgotten to upsell her on stupid gift cards. I stood there a moment and once my manager was free she asked what happened. I, being in shock, took a moment in our back room to dry my eyes (yes I got upset and was crying. Geez
)and then cam back to the floor. I explained the whole thing to my manager and how I did mess up. Shaking her head she said “you didn’t try to upsell her. I heard you the whole time you were helping her dress her bunny. When I saw her storm out and glanced at you, if I wasn’t with a guest, I would of run out of the store, found the woman and ask her what did she do to my associate”. I had a good little laugh about it later and my manager truly does have my back.

But damn lady. Way to be a complete jerk for not reason. I even offered to correct my error and hear it from my manager. But nope. You just wanted to ruin someone’s day.

(I’m sitting in class, just stewing in my thoughts, a thing I commonly do. all of a sudden, I get slapped in the back of the neck.)

Me: (turns around)

Classmate: (points at the floor next to my desk) I dropped my pen, could you hand it to me?

(I pick it up, but otherwise ignore her, being too annoyed with the slap on the back of my neck, which, in my area, is an insult. as I turn around to hand it to her, she points at my coat, which I left on the floor after I took it off.)

Classmate: I dropped the cap on your coat too, could you hand me that?

(once again, I hand it to her in complete silence.)

Classmate: thanks! I wish I had a Pen-d like you!

(I continue with the cold shoulder, and go back to dwelling.)

(Because cross country practice runs late, I take the public bus home from school every day. One day, when I’m getting off, I notice a little old lady with a small handcart full of groceries struggling to hoist the cart onto the bus. Without even thinking, I stop, lift the cart on to the bus and start to walk away when she grabs my arm and pulls me to the bus driver.)

Lady: *patting my arm and speaking to the bus driver* “Sweet baby, sweet sweet baby!

(There were smiles all around as I blushed and left the bus)

I just started a post-graduate degree, so all my classmates are a mixed bag of backgrounds and ages. It’s my second week of classes and we don’t know each other that well, but the atmosphere is very friendly and light. We’re reading through a short story about a teenage girl who develops super-powers.

Classmate 1, a bearded guy: “I found the story very relatable, actually!”

Classmate 2: *with a light hearted laugh* “Why, do you have awesome powers as well?”

Classmate 1: *in a completely affable tone* “No, but I was horribly bullied in school!”

I don’t know when the operation is, but hopefully they’ll manage to get Classmate 2’s foot removed from their mouth eventually.