an experiment

I went to the post office yesterday to file the BF's taxes -- last minute, I know. The guy at the counter who helped me was very pleasant and patient considering there was a line practically out the door only minutes before the post office was supposed to close. As I'm standing there, I notice his name tag. His name is Tom. He was a small, mousey man with glasses and a balding pate; he was also incredibly soft-spoken - quite the inverse of the large, brash black woman working the adjacent window.

I decided to try an experiment and call him by his name, just to see if it illicited any sort of response at all. Working at the post office all day has got to get rather boring and lonely. People just want to get in and out as fast as they can. The people standing at the counter may as well be machines for all the typical customer cares. They just want the transaction to be quick, efficient and simple. I figured the people working there must feel a bit invisible at times. So as I picked up my change and receipt, I caught his eye and chirped "Thanks, Tom!"

He looked like he'd been stung by a bee. His eyes got wide for a brief second before he was able to choke out, "Uh, and have a nice day."

Isn't it sad that a stranger being friendly and calling you by name can be such a shocking and surprising experience?