Young And Free From Absolutely Nothing

(I am 16 and have just left home due to difficult circumstances. I have a weekend job in an independent health food store. A customer walks in; there are two of us behind the till and she begins talking to the other member of staff.)

Customer: “I’ve had a terrible morning. I woke up to find the high winds had destroyed one of my fence panels, and then my husband couldn’t bring me to town so I had to wait for the bus in the rain…”

(She carries on the mundane story about everything wrong in her life. Then suddenly she looks at me and says:)

Customer: “You’re lucky you’re so young and don’t have any problems!”