Although I do not know for a fact if this next statement is true, I can probably lay down a bet and come out on the winning side. My father never changed diapers. If this is wrong, sisters Lela and Blanche will set me straight. Perhaps he did, but I would still venture a bet that it was only in an extreme case of emergency.
My husband changed a diaper once, that I'm sure of. He had been left in charge of his first grandson and had him in his shop. Nature called and the workbench was the only available space. He will tell you to this day, it was a terrible experience, complete with gagging.
Times and ideas have changed over the years. I have watched our sons-in-law master diaper changes and baths, all while cooking a meal. This does not mean the men of the past were wrong, they just grew up with a different idea, a different mindset. Another example from my father's era; girls do not drive pick-up trucks. He did accompany me though, when I bought my first one.
There are lots of things that were believed to be carved in stone, then later found out, that was not exactly the way things had to be. Yet, there will still be people who believe the way it was done in the past, is the way it should always be done.
One thing that seems to have been tossed out as something that is no longer a truth, is the old adage, "The customer is always right." I nearly bit my tongue off at the grocery store recently and it is still sore. The young checkout lady first asked me to come into her lane. I thought that was nice of her and as I wheeled my full cart of groceries into her lane, that is where the niceties ended. She first instructed me not to put my groceries on the conveyor belt. As I stopped half way through the motion of lifting my first item out of the cart, I glanced at the young lady who was ahead of me, in line. I could see why I could not put my groceries on the belt because she was frantically trying to get hers out of her cart. The checkout lady never stopped the belt. By the time the young woman got her last item out of the cart, it was time to pay and the words, "Have a wonderful day", left the lips of the cashier. The cashier had paused long enough though, to give me the go-ahead sign, that I could begin unloading my cart. Since I was still at the far end of the conveyor belt, each time I placed items on the belt, speed demon cashier lady hit the 'go' button for the belt. My groceries where in a frantic stop and go dance on their way to the scanner. She then tells me that I am basically putting my groceries on the belt wrong and to move my cart up closer to the register. By the time I did this, it was time to swipe my card and hear her lovely parting words as she smiled and handed me the receipt.
I was so flustered, along with being on a mission of more than just groceries, I thanked her and maneuvered my cart to the self bagging area. When I looked into the cart, I understood how she herded us through the lane so quickly. All the can items had been tossed to and fro. One of them had pierced the plastic wrapping on the hamburger. My brats were squished under cans of beans and broth. The hummus was slowly settling to one side of its container, since it was standing on edge. I'm not sure how the eggs and bread survived, but they were unscathed.
Some things need changing, but I do not think a lack of courtesy should be one of them. Being proficient and efficient have their place, in the work place, but it does not take any more time to show some kindness to the customer.
I did feel like telling her that I had been buying groceries longer than she had been drawing breath and was pretty certain that I knew what I was doing....but, it would not have sounded near as good as it does here.
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