Young Woman Blues

I was helping an older woman tonight at work, and I handed her the gift card she'd used back, because it still had some money left on it. She stared at me and said "I wish my older friends were here. They KNOW me. They put a sticker on it and write the amount down."

That hurt. I know, I shouldn't have let it hurt. What's wrong with ME? I'm sorry I couldn't read her mind, but I'm not one of the older retirees, single mothers, and mothers and fathers making a second income who work during the day. I haven't lived here for years, and I don't know everyone and their habits.

Actually, I'd prefer to work during the morning, but I haven't worked at this store long enough. Apparently, when I changed unions, I lost senority. (And I'd already lost some senority when the Wildwood Acme closed in September 2005 and they moved me to North Cape May.) Why do they expect people to read minds? Why didn't she say she wanted me to write it down in the first place? I would have, if she'd said she wanted it.