I recently saw someone who used to come into my work. It has been two years, but I almost didn’t recognize them. They are heavier, grayer, and look more tired than they usually did. Also, they were with someone using a walker who I assume was their spouse. This former customer was always pleasant, and the staff liked them. But when their spouse would call and ask for a particular item, and we couldn’t say immediately if we had it or not, they would begin screaming. Our customer told us their spouse went to a lot of doctor’s appointments and they could not find the source of their issues. None of us at the store were medically trained. But we all agreed that the person’s ailments were probably a product of their imagination. They could have also been insecure and played sick to get sympathy and attention. Because they didn’t feel right, they wanted to make everyone miserable. I empathized with our customer. I didn’t like dealing with their spouse on the phone, but I didn’t have to live with them.

I thought about saying hello, but changed my mind. I didn’t know how this person would react or if one of us would publicly be berated by the spouse. From my prior experience, little things could set them off. It also got me thinking as to what changes I need to make in my own life. Are there people or things who are taking my time away from me? What drains me of happiness and prevents me from pursing opportunities? What habits in my life should I change to make me a better person, healthier, and prepare me for the future? Because out of all this I realized I never want to cripple myself or anyone else. Life isn’t always fair, but it’s up to me to make choices as to what I’m going to put my energy into while I am here.

~Killeen