🔗 Share this article To the Cashier That Left Me Totally Without Words – My Hat's Off to You The scene was a Sunday morning, and I was sufficiently irritable, refueling the family car. The location was a typical gas station that operates as a grocery store, which often leads of ending up in line people bearing baskets of somewhat expensive items. This is a dreadful thing to happen when all you want is to get gasoline and leave. Terrible. I was fourth in the waiting line. A single person serving, a young woman. Something stood out in her demeanor. Once the slowpoke at the head of the line had finally paid for his Viakal, his sausage roll, and his box of eggs, I was certain that I heard the cashier wish him a wonderful day. Strange. Perhaps I’d misheard, or perhaps she spoke and used a mocking tone. I pondered if perhaps she was a comrade in my fight against faff, sharing my contempt for people who hold up straightforward customers including me. Advancing next, now third in line. The new leader of our line completed her gasoline purchase with commendable speed. Again, the phrase came: “Wishing you a marvelous day.” In fact, it was “have a wonderful day”. A stateside native? Here in Stourbridge? The pronunciation indicated it, and no British person wishes anyone a wonderful day, or even just a nice day. Highly unusual. You don’t get people from America frequenting this area, least of all employed at gas stations or elsewhere. Second in line at last. Behind a poor older woman embroiled in a protracted effort with her shopping cart, her food items, her purse and her loyalty card. This took an eternity. When she was done, she too received the wish a wonderful day. Definitely from the US. I could have confirmed it by saying something hilarious at the cashier, to check for that reaction as they gaze at you, stoically, and reply with genuine earnest: “You are very amusing.” But I couldn’t think of anything hilarious to say. I just had to settle the heartfelt tone – or a performance of it, that equates to no different – with which she looked me right in the eye, to my very core, and bid me a wonderful day. My spirits lifted. Beneficial indeed.