1.
I look out at the floor of the store, where people are clad in white bu*ton-ups and black slacks, their Hy-Vee nametags perfectly in place. To my right, something catches my eye, it's a customer with a package in their hand, waiting for another customer service representative to help them, and in this case, it's me. One of the things that is up to me to do is to mail any items that people want mailed, as long as they want them mailed through the United States Postal Service.
I reach out and grab the package carefully from the customer and start my spiel, “Is there anything hazardous, liquid, perishable or fragile?” A question that is to be asked each and every single time that we receive a package to be delivered. The customer's hair waves while they shake their head no.
The scale is shiny silver and waiting to weigh the package for me. I go ahead and hit the first bu*ton on the screen reading “mail”, and finally place the package upon the scale. The question pops up on the screen, asking me the same question that I previously asked the customer, I press “no” on the screen. I type in the zip code of the destination, and I survey the options on the screen of how to mail the item.
“Would you like your package to go Priority Mail today?” I look up to ask the customer, and they nod their head yes. I grab the lime green measuring tape, then I type in the dimensions, hit print, and out comes the postage meter and tracking number. They easily peel off the paper, the postage meter sticks to the right hand corner of the package, and the tracking number up the side. All is done, no problem.
6.
Tyler's arm supports his head as he lays on my mother's bed, and I'm playing with the brand new camera that he gave me for Christmas. His sky blue eyes aren't paying attention to the camera at all, but he has a light smile playing on his lips. The new blue bu*ton-up shirt is visible in the photo, and gives an accent to his eyes, a gift from his mother. The happiness is visible through his eyes, and the nonchalant smile. Two things that can be rare sometimes, but Christmas brings out the best in us sometimes.
He's speaking to my mother now, she's asking him questions about the computer, his area of expertise. The very computer that is kept in her room, which we were using just moments before. He answers her questions clearly and promptly, it's obvious he knows what he's talking about. After their conversation is done, I snap the photo.