The Trendy Wolf
December 16th, 2013, 04:35 PM
Near my school, there is a Trader Joe's (Grocery Store) where my mother and I go quite often.
There is also this old woman with light, curly brown hair with big glasses that works there. She used to run the cash register, and my mother and I went into her check-out just once. She was kind, but seemed to be inept in what she did. Slowly, she packed our groceries into the bags, one by one, and carefully examined each item, and my mother became quite impatient. She sighed and folded her arms as if it would tell the woman she was going too slow. I couldn't believe how rude and unsympathetic she was for her! Perhaps the old woman reminded her of her own mother, whom she does not care for. I felt bad for the old woman, and I elbowed my mother and glared at her in disbelief of what she had just done.
As the old woman finally packed all the bags into our cart, we strolled out the automatic doors and my mother looked at me hysterically and gave a soft chuckle, to which I responded with silence and scrunched eyebrows.
Upon our next visit, I noticed that the old woman was no longer at any of the registers, and no long lines of people tapping their feet protrudes out from the rest. My mother and I gathered what we needed and I finally noticed the old woman once again. She was now working as one of the helpers that assists people in finding what they need. It seemed as if she asked every passing person, "Would you need any help finding something?" She would always point towards the shopper and slightly dipped and tilted her head into their business. I stand from afar, watching her desperately trying to help someone, just one person. Someone that would give her life meaning, and let her know that she serves a purpose.
My first instinct assumes that she has mental issues, and I still believe this is so. I just don't know what I could say to her, or what I could do, to make her feel better. She simply seems hopeless and desperate for someone to talk to, yet everyone seems to just pass her by, no thought nor sympathy, no concern for her, as if she's merely a homeless person asking for change.
Change. All she really wants is a change from being ignored and for someone to help her; talk to her. Perhaps she isn't even aware that she appears so desperate, and she keeps on asking. It is as if she is slowly turning insane, and she repeats the same phrase every time, as if it will do any good.
I want to help her, although I'm not sure what I may do. I just feel like she is unconsciously sending a plea for help every time she asks them, "Would you need any help finding something?" It isn't the shoppers that need help finding something, rather it is herself; she needs help finding hope.
Now my question for all of you: How may I be able to potentially help her? I can't help but feel her yearning to let something out. A thought. Anything. Something that will make her be remembered as something more than just the old woman who used to work at Trader Joe's.
There is also this old woman with light, curly brown hair with big glasses that works there. She used to run the cash register, and my mother and I went into her check-out just once. She was kind, but seemed to be inept in what she did. Slowly, she packed our groceries into the bags, one by one, and carefully examined each item, and my mother became quite impatient. She sighed and folded her arms as if it would tell the woman she was going too slow. I couldn't believe how rude and unsympathetic she was for her! Perhaps the old woman reminded her of her own mother, whom she does not care for. I felt bad for the old woman, and I elbowed my mother and glared at her in disbelief of what she had just done.
As the old woman finally packed all the bags into our cart, we strolled out the automatic doors and my mother looked at me hysterically and gave a soft chuckle, to which I responded with silence and scrunched eyebrows.
Upon our next visit, I noticed that the old woman was no longer at any of the registers, and no long lines of people tapping their feet protrudes out from the rest. My mother and I gathered what we needed and I finally noticed the old woman once again. She was now working as one of the helpers that assists people in finding what they need. It seemed as if she asked every passing person, "Would you need any help finding something?" She would always point towards the shopper and slightly dipped and tilted her head into their business. I stand from afar, watching her desperately trying to help someone, just one person. Someone that would give her life meaning, and let her know that she serves a purpose.
My first instinct assumes that she has mental issues, and I still believe this is so. I just don't know what I could say to her, or what I could do, to make her feel better. She simply seems hopeless and desperate for someone to talk to, yet everyone seems to just pass her by, no thought nor sympathy, no concern for her, as if she's merely a homeless person asking for change.
Change. All she really wants is a change from being ignored and for someone to help her; talk to her. Perhaps she isn't even aware that she appears so desperate, and she keeps on asking. It is as if she is slowly turning insane, and she repeats the same phrase every time, as if it will do any good.
I want to help her, although I'm not sure what I may do. I just feel like she is unconsciously sending a plea for help every time she asks them, "Would you need any help finding something?" It isn't the shoppers that need help finding something, rather it is herself; she needs help finding hope.
Now my question for all of you: How may I be able to potentially help her? I can't help but feel her yearning to let something out. A thought. Anything. Something that will make her be remembered as something more than just the old woman who used to work at Trader Joe's.