One of the great things about having a large children’s section in my store is the kids. A recent Sunday there were lots and lots of kids in the store, and they all wanted to say hello, in their own unique way.
A boy of three strode up to the counter and said, as he took off his hat, leaving his hair standing on end in a static flurry, “Hey! You got any toys?” Well, as a matter of fact, yes. I said, “They’re in the spinner.” Why I assumed a three-year-old would know what a spinner is beyond me, but I showed him and he kept saying, “Where’s the spinner?” Well, you’re spinning it, his mom and I replied. This question was asked several times and his mom and I just looked at each other and laughed.
The next kid came in, swinging the door with such force it slammed against the wall, causing a breeze in the whole store. He sauntered to the counter and asked, as he always does, “What do you have that’s new?” Wow. That’s a tall order.  No, hi, how are you? He doesn’t mean to be rude, he just cuts right to the chase: books. I love him for that.
A little toddler clearly had just learned to say HI, and consequently was saying to anyone who looked her way. “HI!” She would shout at customers. The family was here for an hour and the store was packed, and I gotta tell you, that’s a lot of “HI!”
A mid-sized redhead shyly approached the counter and said, “Do you remember me?” I had to admit that I didn’t, but could she give me a clue. “I saw you on stage.” Ah, she goes to Charlotte Central School where I emcee the annual variety show. I told her I did remember her. Then she asked if I remembered the song she sang. I was in hot water here and looked at her dad, who gracefully bailed me out. He told me the song she sang with the other kindergartners, which blissfully I did remember. The little girl’s eyes opened wide and she said,”You work here every day and you work at the variety once a year. You have a lot of jobs.”
Yes, some days it feels like I do, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.