Observations from Behind the Cash Register: The Power of a Pause

You can change a life by touching someone with

simple, beautiful, kind words and a loving smile.

Dr. Debasish Mridha

I've been MIA from my blog and Facebook page over the past month.  The reason for that is that after years of living paycheck to paycheck and having vehicles all teetering on the verge of a major breakdown, the time I had been dreading arrived.  I needed to get a second job.

I went through a variety of emotions as I began to apply for part-time positions.  Sadness.  Anger.  Frustration.  Fear.  Jealousy.  Embarrassment.  Why does life have to be so hard?

I was able to find a job rather quickly as a cashier in a big-box store for which I am very thankful.  However, having never worked in retail before, I was scared to death!  Many tears were shed leading up to my first day.

Needless to say, I was surprised to find out that I absolutely LOVE being a cashier!  The time goes fast and the people who come through my line are so interesting.   It has only been six weeks that I've been behind the register, but I've already made some observations that have taught me much about life.  The most powerful lesson has been the power of a pause.

Hit the pause button!

My interactions with customers are normally 2-4 minutes long, but it is incredible how much you can learn about a person in those few short minutes.  Is she having a good or bad day?  Is he stressed out about his finances or his kids?  Is she worried out about something?  Is she celebrating a new baby or preparing for a funeral?  Am I the first person he's interacted with in days?

When I greet a new customer I try to pause for a second to make eye contact, smile and ask how his or her day is going before I run the first item over the scanner.  Maybe that's the social worker coming out in me or simply because I'm so nebby (that's means curious for my readers who aren't from Pittsburgh!).  Pausing for that brief second helps me to connect with them in a deeper way than if I kept my head down and grabbed the first item off the belt. 

That pause has led to some deep and significant minute long conversations.  The man who broke into tears because his young daughter had just told him about an unexpected pregnancy.  The woman who was clearly suffering from depression and told me that she hadn't left her apartment in over a week.  The older gentleman who has bed bugs and doesn't know what to do about it.  The woman whose son is struggling to adapt to college. 

I'm learning that there are a lot of people who don't have anyone to talk to about their lives or don't have anyone with whom they can share their true emotions.  That pause seems to lead people to open up to me about what is on their heart - something I absolutely did not expect.  My plan was to go in there, put in my time and get out. 

Dr. Debasish Mridha wrote, "You can change a life by touching someone with simple, beautiful, kind words and a loving smile."  I'm not saying that I am changing people's lives with a smile and a hello, but I certainly have the opportunity to change their day.

This has made me think about all of the people I interact with when I'm not standing behind a cash register - those I interact with on a daily basis for longer than 2-4 minutes.  Am I pausing to make eye contact, smile and ask how their day is going rather than just passing them in the hall with a casual "Hi.  How are you?" or jumping into a conversation about work or a school event.  Is someone having a bad day and simply needs a friendly smile?  Are there people in my life who are struggling and need a friend?  I can be that smile and that friend.

What about you?  Are you rushing through life not connecting with those around you?  I encourage you to pause, make eye contact, smile and ask someone how they are doing.  There is an element of risk as you never know exactly what they are going to say, but you will have the opportunity change someones day . . . or their life by taking a moment to listen.