Thursday, October 04, 2012

A Cashier's Two Cents

There's this thing called Awkward Week. It originated in Stadium Way 49 when every once in a while horribly awkward things would happen to all of its occupants for a week...as the name implies.

Awkward week brings a lot of uncomfortable moments, but mostly a lot of hilarious stories. So allow me to share with you some of my stories from my first awkward week since my sophomore year of college:

#1 - Eli had an accident while I was visiting teaching. I'm talking in another person's house. I almost died.

#2 - I told my photographer I really liked the pictures she took of a family in our ward. Then she politely told me she actually didn't take those pictures.

#3 - I had called the lady I visit teach and she didn't answer. A couple hours later I was programming her number in my phone for when she called back. As I was doing that, I got a call from an unknown number. Assuming it was the lady I visit teach, I answered by saying, "Hi Heather!" The person on the phone said, "Umm...this isn't Heather. Were you expecting a call?"

#4 - This is my favorite -- I got a curtain order from someone who ended up living in my same city. She wanted blackout panels and specifically told me how to put the blackout fabric on the right way. She came to look at the first panel I made and kindly told me I put the blackout fabric on backwards. I was so embarrassed. Later in the day, I was on my walk and I heard someone call my name. It was the same girl and it turns out I walk by her house every day! Mostly that was funny, but due to the fact that I was still feeling dumb for messing up her order, it can still be filed under awkward.

So there you have it. A taste of my awkward week. Leading up to this gem of a conversation with the blessed older woman who just so happened to be my cashier at Wal-Mart tonight:

Cashier was staring at me as she was ringing up diapers. Then she rang up more things while basically stopping to stare every 2-3 items.
Cashier: How old are your kids?
Me: Two and six months.
Cashier stares again: Wow. I bet that keeps you busy.
Me: Yeah.
More staring between checking out items.
Cashier: You look pretty young.
Me: Yeah. I'm 24.
Cashier: You must have gotten married young then. What were you? 19? 20?
Me: 20.
Cashier: Oh good. So you waited a couple years before you had kids.
Me: Yeah. I finished school and then I had my son.
Cashier: Is your husband home with your kids now?
Me: Yeah. He is.
Cashier: Where'd you go to school? Is that where you met your husband then?
Me: SUU (pointed to the SUU shirt I had on.), yup he's from there.
Cashier: What'd you get your degree in?
Me: Marketing.
Cashier: What kinds of jobs are there for that?
Me: I'm not sure. I knew I wanted to be a mom so I didn't look into jobs too much.
Cashier: What about after they get older though?
Me: I don't know.
Cashier: Well what does your husband do?
Me: He's an accountant.
Cashier: Oh good. So how many kids do you guys want?
Me: Ummm....Probably four or five?
Cashier: Wow. You'll be very busy.
Me: Yeah?
Cashier: Here's your receipt. You better get home to those kids. Well...they're probably asleep by now aren't they?
Me: I hope so!
Cashier laughs while looking at me hopelessly. I walked to my car in a daze that my life choices were being so openly judged by a WalMart cashier.

Thank you cashier for ending awkward week with a bang!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Curtains. Oh man. .
And being judged by a wal-mart cashier.. did you ask her how many kids she wants? Ha I hate stuff like that with strangers

LC said...

what in the world. who asks that many personal questions to someone they don't even know? how many kids do you want?! haha oh my gosh. that is too funny. what a way to end awkward week. (hopefully it's over!)

Rebecca said...

I can't believe the Walmart cashier was so surprised by your life situation. I mean, you do live in Utah. And she does work at Walmart. Surely she has seen much worse.

Kim said...

I have to say that perhaps my favorite thing about this post is Rebecca's comment, "Surely she has seen much worse." Ha ha ha!!!!

Oh, Sarah--you and your awkward situations. Maybe I should once again quote Rebecca: "A situation is only awkward if you make it awkward." So quit making situations awkward!