Don't sweat the small stuff

Today I walked into a small local camera store with the intention of checking out the Canon 500D. Upon walking into the store, I noticed a woman standing behind the counter. I assumed she’s about 55 years old judging from the crow’s feet at the outer corners of her eyes and the streaks of gray in her hair. But the thing I noticed most about her is the lack of kindness in her eyes.

I stood in front of the glass window where the Canon SLR cameras sat for about 10 seconds when she asked me in a matter-of-fact manner, “Do you have any questions?”

I asked whether I could see the Canon 500D.

She took out the Canon 500D and told me that it was the latest model for its range. She then immediately asked, “Have you seen this online? What’s the price you saw online?”

I said that I’ve only checked the Canon official website and have not really looked around.

She said, “Well, I can’t show you the camera because many people check out the camera and then buy it online. Are you going to buy it today?”

I replied, “I’m not sure yet. It depends. Can I see it?”

She then acutely point to the camera, which is now back in its original spot, securely locked behind the glass window and said, “there, you can see it.” I swear I saw a smug look plastered on her face.

I stared at her with a I-can’t-believe-you-are-so-darn-rude look. Did your dog just die? Did your husband divorce you recently?

I said, “It’s okay. Thanks,” and promptly walked out of the store. What I really wanted to say is, “How would I know whether I’ll be interested if I can’t even have a proper look at it. Even if I’m interested, I would never have bought it from you, evil witch.”

Anyway, I was upset for like 5 minutes before I realise that it’s not worth it. She probably had a bad day/bad life. I always think that you can see that sort of thing from someone’s eyes.

Then I proceeded to Walgreens to get some lip balm. The person behind the counter was really nice. I asked her for the nearest post office and she gave me lots of details with a smile. Then I met a local artist on the street who was handing out his name card and trying to persuade passer-bys to buy his cds. I didn’t buy his cd but I told him I’ll check out his website. We had a small chat and then parted ways.

The point of this short rant is to point out that, for every single horrible person you meet, you’ll meet many more good people. We shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. Otherwise we might miss the bigger picture.