Apologies from a Bossy Person

Recently I wrote about liking to see the people in business places give me a smile when I am a customer. I understand that I offended some business owners who are well known for their friendly establishment and cheerful service. When I was mentioning experiences I had that week with sales persons who didn't even make eye contact or say anything to me except the amount I owed, I was not referring to the majority of the stores that we have in our friendly city.

But unfortunately the places where I experienced the cool treatment are some of the places where visitors to our city have the most contact. I appreciate having people of all ages given opportunities to earn money in our local businesses, but sometimes the younger ones don't quite realize the effect that their mediocre service can have on customers. That can also be true of some older workers who may be forced to work for economic reasons beyond their enthusiasm for the job.

I know customers can be a pain, especially if they are demanding, unappreciative or don't listen (or hear) to explanations or conversation about the product. So I guess I should say, we need smiles on both sides of the counter. The customers can begin the friendly conversation if the sales person had not started one. Or at least we can smile and say please and thank you.

Have you noticed how a person's smile keeps working even after the first appearance? It will remain on the face, and in the eyes of the smile giver for several seconds after the occasion has passed. It will also appear on the face and eyes of the one who received the smile.

So I say congratulations to those comfortable, friendly merchants who give away smiles with their service. I also say best wishes to the customers who make life more pleasant for those who are working in business. We can make a great team if we don't forget.

Now, while I am being bossy I would like to say something to those people in town (or anywhere) who get rid of unwanted cats and dogs by taking them to the country and dumping them on the roadside. I was told that one lady didn't have her cats spayed because all she had to do when kittens were born was to take them to the country and leave them. She said that every farmstead could use extra cats.

That is certainly not true. The days when a farmer had milk cows to produce a bit of milk for the mousers in the barn is past. The farmer has no more need for extra cats than any home in town.

Many homes in the country do not even have many outbuildings or barns where a poor homeless kitten or puppy could get shelter. It is a cruel and unthoughtful way to take care of extra animals. It is cruel to the animals, many are just babies; and it is cruel to the rural families. They can't afford to feed the excess animals from town, but also can't stand to see an animal starve.

If they are not killed by a car or farm vehicles, carried off by coyotes or other predators, or adopted by a an already overburdened family, they will live a miserable life scrounging for food, killing birds that we enjoy and spreading disease to our own pets.

My message today is to share smiles but not unwanted animals.