An Unexpected Rain

Well, I guess I'm on a roll with odd encounters with cashiers and I just thought this was too unbelievable not to share. Ya'll know I don't care much for the big box home improvement places but even I find myself having to shop there sometimes for building materials and tools. Well, while I was in town today for another errand, I stopped in the store that is the least evil to me that I have been buying the stain for my house from. I had run out of the siding color and will probably need a couple or three gallons to finish but money is a little tight right now so I just had a gallon mixed. Anyway, I go to the checkout and there is an older man running the register. He rings it up and it comes up to $36 or so. Yes, that is kinda expensive but you get what you pay for, you know. Well, he remarks that he can't believe how expensive paint has become lately. I agreed and just casually joked that if I remembered correctly, that same paint used to be about $27/ gal. when I first started on the project. "Really?" he said. "Well, let me fix that for you!" And he proceeded to cancel the first sale and mark that gallon of paint down to $27! At first I thought he was just joking but he did it! I couldn't believe it. Well, I thanked him profusely and he said, "I guess you'll look for me every time you come in here now!" I said "yea!" and thanked him some more. It's funny, the difference in price was not a tremendous amount of money but when you've been laid off as long as I have, every little bit helps, so that man probably had no idea how much that meant. I was so flabbergasted at the time I didn't think to say anything but if i see him in there again I think I'll have to tell him.
A few years ago I was laid off and had a similar experience at that same store. I had been out of work for a while but needed some material for a small side job I was doing. I went in and purchased what I needed and was leaving when I spied the hot dog vendor that they let set up outside the store. I was hungry and knew I didn't have much money for lunch, but I could afford a hotdog so I went over and ordered one. The man fixed it and I held out some money to pay him. He just kinda brushed my hand aside and said, "Don't forget to get a drink", pointing to the cooler of canned drinks. I said "okay" and tried to pay him again. He looked me right in the eye and pushed my hand back towards me. "When somebody wants to give you something, you take it" and just smiled. I was flabbergasted again but thanked him very much, got my drink and went on to work.
Funny how things happen sometimes.

*Melissa Etheridge