Divided nation

The more I read, the more I understand how polarized Americans are. One group refuses to accept our incoming President while another is happy to see our current President gone. I wonder how people even function today with all the hatred. I've been through many changes of Presidents, some I picked, others not, and yet life continued unabated. So it will be this time.

Kind at K-Mart

While shopping at Cape Girardeau's K-mart store on Dec. 23, when frenzied shoppers were in abundance, I witnessed an interaction that embodied compassion and genuine empathy between the store manager and a bereft elderly shopper. Somehow, the lady had been shopping, but missed her ride back to her home in Mounds, Illinois. The store manager, Darren, was summoned and, despite demands in all directions, focused intently on first listening to the frightened lady, assessing options, discovering there were none (no family, nor cab service from Cape to Mounds.) The need was time sensitive as the lady did not have her necessary medication with her. I was close by and interjected that though I was local and willing to help, I had no automobile. Without hesitation, this manager, reached out to an employee and arranged for her to escort the lady to Mounds. His sensitivity and assurance to this elder seemed so effortless.

Business and pets

Our family shops at small local business as much as possible. Unfortunately, we've had to stop shopping at some of them because the owners or workers bring their pets to work. At least four stores we used to shop at now have a cat or dog or both. Some customers have allergies. Others have children who are afraid of dogs. In one shop we could barely get our items bought because the worker had to chase down her dog and then hold it in her arms while at the same time checking us out and wrapping our purchases. Small business owners want to be a successful business but they then need to treat their business like one. Leave the pets at home and focus on your customers and your job while you're at work.