This is the ideal time of year to be shopping in the resort towns, isn;t it? What didn't sell to the tourists during the peak season is now available at a fraction or that price. Shoppers who select an item usually grin at the prospect, probably because they don't realize that even this slashed price represents about a hundred percent markup on the shop's cost. You might expect that the sales personnel would at least be smiling, knowing they were still making a killing. In little shops like these, many of the shops are being staffed by the shopkeeper and his/her family, after all. Those that aren't family, are likely long-time employees who know the shop's success means continued success for them.
So, I found it odd to hear one of the sales people repeat to more than one customer that she was "just tired, tired of it all, and needed some time off." This being a week or more after the season ended, I just wondered that she hadn't had enough rest.
My sister and my wife noted another clerk literally chased them away from a spot where they stood comparing possible purchases, saying loudly, "That register is closed, you can't stand there." They also noticed she was really very short with several other customers. We overheard another employee explaining her mood. "She just lost Sadie, and Sadie's brother passed away last year, and now, Walter is missing his friends."
Wow, I thought, that is a lot to take in, I guess. I have to admit though, that I was less impressed when I learned that Sadie and her brother were cats, and Walter is a dog. Loss is loss, and pets are companions for lots of people. So, she was mourning for her pets and her pet in mourning.
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