**Participate in Feel Good Friday. Choose your prompt and link up!**
There is one, and only one, criteria I have for judging people:
Nice or Not Nice.
And this is what I teach my girls. Never, ever will we judge a person until we get to know them. Ever.
Now… this doesn’t mean that I don’t judge a person’s clothing.
If I see a kid with his pants hanging off of him, I may think to myself that the trend is stupid. The kid isn’t stupid. I am not going to base his pants wearing on WHO he is.
Do you see what I mean?
Unfortunately in life, people judge people in 2 seconds flat.
And it is really sad because there are a lot of really good people out there.
Because of my philosophy, I have met a lot of really good people.
Case in point:
I used to shop at an upscale grocery store, Byerly’s. It had carpet and chandeliers. I loved this store. I shopped there ever since SuperTarget opened 2 years ago. I mean really, how can one not shop at SuperTarget?
It is Super!
The people that worked at Byerly’s were so very nice and friendly. However, being an upscale store, I would see other shoppers treat the employees rudely.
Why?
To me, this is just wrong. I have zero tolerance for rudeness of any kind.
One employee was the BEST. We will call her Jen.
Jen has been there for as long as I can remember. She should teach a customer service class because she is that good.
I went to Byerly’s this week, needing to pick up a few specialty items and the minute Jen saw me and Sarah she started waving her arms.
After finishing with her customer, she ran around the counter and told me that it was her last day. She was quitting to help with her daughter’s wedding and be with her sick mother.
Then she threw her arms around me and gave me the fiercest hug I have ever had from a non-family member!
While we were reminiscing she did it 2 more times!
She kept thanking me over and over for letting me “in” to my family.
She has seen both girls as newborns.
Heck, she even told me to go to the hospital when I was doing my weekly shopping while in LABOR! (I really wanted to have a fully stocked kitchen when I got home…)
She has “talked” to all of the stuffed animal friends the girls have brought in.
She has consoled me while I wiped away my tears, missing Emily, when I would shop on the 1st day of school in the fall.
I don’t know why she kept thanking me.
I was thanking her… for all of her kindness; for going above and beyond.
So on this Feel Good Friday, I feel good about Jen. For making me feel good every single time I stepped my foot in the store.
There are good people out in this world. You just have to stop judging and find them.
thegirltestblog.wordpress.com 
Guess you don’t just have that way of getting to someone, with just me! Sounds like she appreciates your kind ways, as much as I do.
Very sweet. “Jen” sounds like a wonderful person. I’ve been on both sides of the “judgment coin” throughout my life. Only in my case, I seem to have a bias against people with money based on how my mom and we were treated while growing up by certain people. And later as my kids grew up to be teens – expressing their uniqueness by sporting the lastest punk fashions (mohawks, shaved heads, strange clothes, etc.) I always let them wear and dress how they like – although I did notice how some people would mistake some of my boys for “skin heads” (they always shaved their heads in the summer), or just stare at my daughter with her rainbow hair. Oddly enough, I catch my daughter judging others sometimes based on what they wear – Life is strange that way.
I’m working on my biases against “rich” people by the way. 🙂
Oh I am not rich by any means! I actually did a speadsheet to see how much mor eexpensive this store was from then others and maybe at most is was $2 a week! They bagged and put stuff in my car and I loved that 🙂
I love this idea!! Thank you for hosting.
This week I did “5 things that made me really happy this week.”
You are very welcome!
It’s good to see niceness is met with niceness too.
Yippeeeee, Feel Good Friday is back!!
“Jen” sounds like such a sweet person, I wish there were more people like her out there:)
No kidding. She is one of a kind.
My Dad had “friends” like this everywhere we went when I was a kid. He’d stand and talk with random strangers for so long that I was sure he must know them but most of the time they were just new “friends”.
I lack this social grace but I’m trying harder the older I get.
“Jen” sounds awesome. Sounds like she impacted your life in such a positive light.
I am pretty shy, but some people like her just bring it out in me. She spread joy!
We had a “checker-outer-girl” like that at the old grocery store in VA. Her name was “Patsy” (can’t remember her real name, but I know it started with a P). She was the NICEST person ever—getting to watch our boy go from a monster of a baby to a 4-yr.-old, giving him little presents, teasing me for giving in and letting him ride underneath the cart on the little flat part where you could put cokes and bulky stuff after seeing my father-in-law let J. do it one time. She was just wonderful, and J. LOVED her, always asking to get in her line and then just chatting away with her about dragons and counting and Thomas the Train.
It’s people like that that really make you stop and notice how nice humans truly can be!
It is true! Also people like that really make me a loyal customer. Even though I did switch to super target I still came back!
That sounds like an amazing grocery store, but I would so love a Super Target.
It’s amazing how some people can become so much more than what their job might have them be.
I really enjoyed your post today! So many non-family members really impact our lives and see us at so many different stages along the way. Happy Friday! 🙂
Thanks Bridgette! I agree!!
Came here to say Hi, heard you love alice cooper via katie’s dalies.
I love him, too, so…we gots to hook up,right?
Have a great weekend! Love your feelgood friday link up. Very nice idea.
Great post! My favorite part was the fact that Jen had to tell you to go to the hospital because you were in labor! I chuckle at the tenacity of women and their ability to see the bigger picture, like a lack of food at home when you return with baby. My husband is wonderful – but if I ever leave him without food he’ll eat totilla chips with salsa for lunch. And when nothing miraculously appears in the fridge for dinner, it’ll be chips and salsa again for dinner. Next day, same thing. Never will he stop and say, “Gee, my wife is gone until tomorrow night. That’s several meals, maybe a grocery shoping trip would make sense!”
YAY for Jen and all the Jens of the world! if only there were more of her/them.
Wonderful post and yes if more people were “Jens” than we would all be happier and maybe even nicer ourselves. I hate more than anything to go to a store and stand in line behind someone who complains to the bagger, the checker the customers around them. I guess these miserable people want to make sure others are as miserable as they are! It made me tear up and also cheer because the truth is we “touch” people every day in ways we do not ever know unless they tell us like Jen told you, it is very wonderful to know that what we left in their lives was a joyful experience with us instead of a negative one!!
On my way to the vet to recheck the Chihuahua’s left eye to see if it is doing better and now I Feel Good On Friday!!!
jackie b
Yesterday in the grocery store I greeted the checker using her name. It was easy to remember because her name is Judy. The bag person’s name was Paul. I think they appreciated the fact that I see them as real people, because they both gave me a big smile.
Laura I notice that you have a “George” in your family. I have a garden tool who’s name is Arthur.
I’ve worked in a few different grocery stores. I’ve worked in Winn-Dixi, I worked at a small, family owned and run grocery store and I’ve worked at a “high end” (snooty ass customers) grocery store.
The customers in the “high end” grocery store were some of the rudest people I’ve ever met in my life. While working there I was cussed out (to the point that I was so pissed off all I could do was cry!), made to look like an idiot, made fun of…right in front of my face, and made to feel like I was less than they were. I used to come home from work and tell my hubby that I’d never seen anything like it, and I hadn’t.
Money doesn’t always mean that they’ll have class!!
How sweet of you to write a post about her!!
I worked and managed a public golf course for 9 years. The golfers were some of the best friends I have ever known.
Then I worked at a Private club. I had to quit after 2 years. I had never in my life seen such snottiness and rudeness. It was appalling.
People are people… plain and simple. No matter where you live, education, money.. it just doesn’t matter!
Aww this post brought tears to my eyes. How incredibly sweet. It’s wonderful when you have outside relationships like that that just make life on the outside a little bit better.
I have a feel good moment today too. I didn’t post it on my blog, but I wanted to share it here. Today is my 100th post. It feels really good. It wouldn’t have been possible for some key people, most of those being my faithful readers and commentators, you being one of them. I really appreciate that no matter how busy your life is, you take a moment to stop in and leave me a comment. It’s because of you and others like you that I am able to keep blogging and enjoy it.
Thank you!!
Awww…thank you! I remember when we first met! Congrats on 100!!!!!
I love relationships like that! I took my boys to our favorite hole in the wall seafood restaurant this week. We haven’t been in a while, and the waitress hugged us. High fived the boys, called us her favorite table the whole time. Asked about my husband. She’s great! I wish the whole world was populated with people like them!
Me too!
“Jen” sounds like a wonderful woman, and many would be blessed to have her in their life.
I really don’t get the judging of people with just one look. You here first impressions are the most important, but until you talk with someone, or walk in their shoes, you have no idea. I’m glad that there are really open minded people out in this world.
Have a wonderful day.
Jen sounds like a truly wonderful person! And you are truly wonderful as well! Thanks for sharing!
What a wonderful story!!!! You truly made me smile!! I love this meme!!!
dollycas
Thank you! I am so glad!
You make me remember when I was young I also wanted to be a store lady.
I am shy and when we would go in this one store the lady always made a fuss over me and it was so welcome. I wished the whole world would be like her and I wanted to grow up and be that way.
Bless you and Jen and all the wonderful people out there.
Good policy!
And I love how you went grocery shopping while in labor.
It was the second baby so I knew wasn’t going to happen soon 🙂
I love Feel Good Friday. It causes me to stop bitching for one day and revel in the positive. Thanks.
Jen sounds AWESOME! We have a local grocery store called IGA. There is a wonderful man who works there named Daniel. He has some sort of mental retardation that is obvious and apparent. He is the greatest worker though and has worked there for at least 10 years. He bags the groceries and brings them to the car (at this store they bring your groceries to your car). He is the sweetest man. And Hayden likes him too. When I go to the store and he is working – it brightens my day.
Wow! That is such an amazing story! It is so great to hear that there are still some good, decent people out there!
I feel the same way, I try to extend everyone the same level of respect and treat people the way I would like to be treated. I also think the way someone treats customer service personnel gives you a big glimpse as to their level of humanity and compassion. Jen sounds like a sweet, caring person.
And I have to add, your genuine kindness always comes through in your posts, which coincidentally always make me feel good. I love coming over here. 🙂 Well, as often as I can get a chance. 😉
So very true. I try not to go by first impressions. I am almost always wrong when I do 😉 Hey, I have been dying to go to one of those Super Targets! I love regular Target and have only seen the Super ones while on vacation….but never get to go.
I actually save money by going to super target !! No more extra trips to target. I just get it all in one day!!!!
I *try* not to be Judgy McJudgerson because whenever I do, I get kicked in the pants by life.
We don’t even have a regular old Target here. Our fancy store is Kroegar. It has the upscale hillbillies. (NOT that I’m being Judgy.)
I love your policy! I hate hate hate when people act like that. I just broke up with a friend; she was always rude to waitress and waiters and it was embarassing. That’s not The Reaons why we broke up, but it that was who she was to everyone. GGGRRR!
Niceness is a much better route.
I love this. What a heart led person. Meeting people like her and hearing stories of others like her truly makes us all feel connected by a thread of goodness in the world. Thanks for making me feel good today. 🙂
SO True! We are so quick to judge. One time I sat next to a guy on an airplane and soon found out he was a reformed drug dealer. We had a wonderful time talking and I am so glad to have had the opportunity to get his point of view on everything.
I feel the same way! I love that you posted this. So true!
Oh….I loved shopping at Byerly’s when I lived in Minneapolis! The concept of carpets and chandeliers when grocery shopping was just too cool. I have lived in Chicago, Kansas City, New York and Denver and I have never found a grocery store like Byerly’s. You lucky, lucky girl!
I despise rudeness. I especially despise rudeness to someone who has to just take it because they’re on the job.
I can’t stand people who are rude to employees at stores. It drives me crazy (maybe because I used to work in retail in college and know what it feels like). How sweet that she thanked you. This was certainly a great tribute to her and other people like her.
What a wonderful story! I love stories like these! Reading your Feel Good Friday story made me feel good! 🙂
In a related note, I think the worst place to work in the entire world must be Subway…. That’s one of the few places where the customer has complete control over the employee for the few minutes of interaction, and the employee must do everything with a smile…. All while getting paid 7 dollars an hour…. I’ve seen horrible things happen to the poor ‘sandwich artists’ while waiting in line at Subway….
I’m always surprised by how much a stranger can make my day just by smiling and attempting to be nice.
Wow! Love this post! It’s so true though. Drives me crazy when I see people of a higher class look down on people in the service industry. Or even people in the same class.
Not to say I haven’t had my fleeting bad moments. Not to say I haven’t listened to a loud, obnoxious person on a plane and thought I wish they weren’t so attention hogging & would be quiet so I could sleep. And really why are they throwing food to each other across people & aisles? Grown-ups!
….But I really like your concept of getting to know people before labeling them. I hope to be as amazing as you one day! 😀
I have to say that sounds awesome. I haven’t seen that kind of customer service since I was a kid and shopped with my mom.
I do try to be courteous to the people that help me when I am shopping but it is rare to find the ones like your “Jen”. Great feel good story!
Nicely put. Hard to find in this part of the forest.
That is SO sweet! It reminds me of this one girl who works at Target and she’s been there since I was pregnant with Cole and Bella! She’s watched them grow up and same with Garrett and Landon. She personally greets us every single time we walk into Target, if she’s working that day. Bella even asked once if she could come babysit them because they just LOVE her!
I totally agree with your philosophy! I wish more people would teach their children the same thing…the world sure would be a much nicer place!
You don’t find those type of people in Detroit at the grocery store we think they are too scary.
Come to Minnesota, people! We are nice here!!!