Wednesday, September 25, 2013

friendly people

I do complain a lot about martinet types and their propensity for making rules. The secretary you know with the post-it note reminders to put the copier paper back in the tray and replace the toner just so, and the coffee machine rules of etiquette, filters, replacement and such. Those people all around. Given an inch, a mile taken. Fiefdoms everywhere here and there, building managers, park managers, all with a streak of control freak, and given real responsibilities, their dictator tendencies manifest. It's only natural.

By contrast all the people I meet face to face are perfectly lovely.

It's amazing. Today, a few errands, and I was so cheered by everyone I encountered. A word, a phrase, was all it took and every single person responded in a friendly and open and gracious way.

I am positioned equidistant between two King Soopers, a grocery store chain here in Colorado. Bean Soopers at 14th and Speer, and Queen Soopers at 9th and Corona, in the local jocular parlance. But don't mention I said that, it is probably not very nice. Parking is a mess at both places so I put off going. But what a delight when I finally do.

"Do you ever buy jumbo eggs?"  Talk about random.

That's all it took. We're examining eggs and picking out the ones most probable to be double. A small group forms, we all agree double-yolk eggs are ace.

I'm blocking a woman and apologize, "I was rapt in the wonderful world of meats."

"Me too!"

"I told this guy I made a steak with blue cheese and he has them with blue cheese in it."

There was a big pile, we both bought some, delighted with the price, and the guy who works there goes, he actually goes, I never heard anything like this, "Thanks for buying my meats."

!

Then cheese. I particularly want Asiago and Gruyere and couldn't find them. It is a very long counter. The guy pointed so I went back, and right there he was, he walked around the entire length and back, so twice, four upon return, just to show me, then carefully explain their general placements. Exceedingly conversational.

"Your trolly is noisy."

"I know!"

See? I don't even have to be well behaved. The customer went on at length about how that would be a good job for somebody, keeping the wheels cleared.

And so on, to the vegetables and checkout. The most cheerful group of checkerouters I have ever encountered. Extraordinary teamwork. A person flew in to unload my cart, Another flew in to help the slow bagger. All four converged to make fast work of it, and exceedingly conversational besides, like a movie where the cartoons whistle while they work. Amazingly impressively cheerful like I live on Happy Planet.

Don't come here. You'll mess it up. Sorry. Its enchantment might not be transferrable.

I feel it important to acknowledge the impressively friendly people in this city. At the haircut place at paying I notice a group of people ready to do business with the receptionist all graciously move back and to the side to allow my passage as if choreographed by plain good manners. Bless all of them. When I talk to them directly about the things that upset me they agree. Although they are part of it. For instance, a woman filled out a form for me a very long one, and we got to the part about race and I said, "You know, that question, that whole line of questioning angers me. It's rude. And it is only government, City, Federal, that asks such rude questions. It's like AOL teenagers asking asl (age sex location) " And none of that changes year to year. And she agreed. When I talk about camera restrictions plus surveilance, they are appalled as I. So as much as I complain about having to provide the exact precise form the little retard needs because she cannot extrapolate from the information provided, no, she needs one exact form with the total even though it hasn't changed, I love them so, in reality, right down to it, they are all very sweet and nice and actually trying to do good in their way. This is a very friendly city.

15 comments:

rhhardin said...

Kroger has great sign nazi moments that I like to photograph.

Somebody 20-something gets promoted and there you are.

My photo tag kroger turns up a high percentage of them.

ndspinelli said...

Nice thoughts and post. People are basically good.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

You make me long for the days I lived in Denver. 1990-1997.
I lived in a few places. At one point I lived at The Grosvenor near Colfax and 17th. I had to park on the street and walk to my apt.. I could hear - out my window- gun shots and screams on occasion. The screams bothered me.
I then moved to a safer area with a parking spot under the building.
la Concorde near 8th and Pearl- Right across the street from The Grant Humphries Mansion.
La Concorde is the most hideous building in all of Denver - but built with concrete slab floors, so it was nice and quiet.
I lived at the east end of the hall, so no view for me. As circumstances changed, I was able to move to the west end of the hall and enjoyed the most spectacular view of the mountains, the city and the mansion across the street. It was only 500 sq feet - but I was so happy.
ah- young, happy and free in Denver.
Bean Soopers at 14th and Speer, and Queen Soopers at 9th and Corona...
That's what we called it back then. Nothing has changed... Bean and Queen - so homophobic and racist. and funny! Luckily no one cares.

Chip Ahoy said...

rhhardin, I looked for a "no cameras allowed, no photographing of premises."

Icepick said...

Don't come here. You'll mess it up. Sorry. Its enchantment might not be transferrable.

Understood. Years ago I wrote the following, concerning my hometown of Orlando Florida and how alien it had become to me:

The worst is that there's no place else to go. Anyplace else where I would want to live has already experienced this burst of growth, or is about to. (For example, sleepy little Gainesville is supposed to be as big as present-day Orlando in another 50 years. There won't be an oak left standing in that town by then.) And I would HATE to be the person that ruins someone else's paradise by showing up and fucking up the place. No reason to add that to my personal list of sins.

God, I hate this city.

Icepick said...

People are basically good.

People are basically indifferent, at best.

Chip Ahoy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chip Ahoy said...

April, I drove right around that corner this morning. Stopped a the corner and thought, "the most famous Mexican restaurant in Denver, I suppose, Benny's." People were outside looking directly at me. Turned the corner and recalled how fantastic Govnr's Park was when first opened. Fern restaurant, ferns hanging all over the place, but that fad faded. Around the corner from that, the place changes a lot. It was an impressive and active French restaurant that closed and now something new, and something new again, that did not look so interesting driving by, and the whole time I was thinking Benny's back there, "I could be there eating something." Benny's is very good. And best of all, I noticed uncrowded at daytime.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

I like Blue Bonnet for Mexican food. The salsa they give you when you sit down - it has drugs in it.
Opium I think.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

I remember Benny's. I rarely ever ate there. I was poor and I lived on taco bell.

Gross! I know.

Methadras said...

People are mostly cynical and apathetic until something jars them from their dower splendor into remembering that they need to breath, blink their eyes, and see the world again as it is. Then after 5 minutes they just get pissed off again and slip back into old habits.

Icepick said...

Methadras said...

The old, friendly avatar! This big pussy thanks you!

sakredkow said...

People are mostly cynical and apathetic until something jars them from their dower splendor into remembering that they need to breath, blink their eyes, and see the world again as it is. Then after 5 minutes they just get pissed off again and slip back into old habits.

That is a human truth, brother. IMO that's a struggle that's worthwhile for a human being.

ndspinelli said...

Icepick, You're projecting.

ricpic said...

People...people who love people...except for people who spell Barbara Barbra...