Virgo Vigilance

Expired Coupon.

Was it just a boring, rainy day that triggered this? Did you watch the droplets race against the glass as they kissed one another and their souls became one, suddenly speeding faster down the pane? Was that not enough entertainment for you?

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, perhaps you had to go to the store anyways. Perhaps you needed more items, but had no luck finding them once you arrived. Perhaps the only item you could find that you needed was a box of rigatoni noodles for a coupon that had expired two months ago.

You bring me the item and the coupon at the register and I ring it up before I tell you, "Ma'am, this coupon expired two months ago."

You throw a fit and tell me to leave the register, that I'm no longer allowed to work here. I am clearly out of line and have no idea what I'm doing. You ask to bring my manager over, who tells you the same thing. "Ma'am, this coupon expired two months ago."

You're now in outrage, grabbing the box of rigatoni off the conveyor belt and tossing the uncooked noodles all over my aisle, trying to enrage me with whatever was burning inside you. But I'm unbothered. I'm actually grateful. Cleaning up the aisle will provide me the perfect excuse to take a break from dealing with customers like you, who throw a fit over a coupon that expired two months ago.

You now look at me, expecting an apology over something clearly out of my control, but my mind is mentally cataloging the noodle now stuck in between the gum and the mints so that I don't miss it when cleaning up. You storm out of the store, and just like that, your day is ruined over a coupon that expired two months ago.

Imagine if you had just taken the box of rigatoni noodles for 79¢ and gone about your day. It could have saved you a bit of embarrassment in our small town. Perhaps the rain would have subsided, and the sun could have shined. But you had to ruin it over a coupon that expired two months ago.