crack up the clerk is my favorite hobby.

[mopinko]

probably a sign that i spend too much time alone, but i make it a point to get a smile or a laugh out of the ppl i interact w 1 on 1, whether at the cash register, on the phone w customer service, or dealing w healthcare ppl.

so, i had to get a mammo last week. walk up to the desk.
lovely older lady- what can we do for you?
me-(cracking up in advance, cuz i cant believe the straight line) squeeze my titties.
she stayed in professional mode, but couldnt help chuckling.
the rest of the encounter was conducted w smiles on both sides.

it’s my fave hobby. i esp do it when i’m complaining, cuz those ppl have a hard enough job.
i had an hour long call w tmobile a while back. it got very chatty, cuz her system was slow.
at the end of these encounters, i usually thank ppl for laughing, and tell them it’s my hobby. but i had so much fun w this lady in the phillipines, i made her promise to pass it on. to share w her coworkers that she had a GOOD call.

i think of it as being an anti-karen. i figure we need that.
i’m making this long winded post to remind myself to post the good 1s here. i think about it, then forget.

i’m sure the folks in this forum do their share of this, but i think it’s good to be intentional about it.

[multigraincracker]

1. I'm right there with you, but not every one

gets my humor. But, then sometimes those voices in my head have some really good ideas.

[mopinko]

2. i drop a clinker now and then. goes w the territory.

on a good day, i play it into a better joke.

[2naSalit]

3. That's my MO...

When I go out in public.

Yesterday I was at the thrift store and I noticed a "thing" in the furniture area that I could not easily identify and murmured to myself, "what in the hell is that?" It was on the floor but was at least 3ft tall at the corner of the furniture area and the perimeter aisle. There was an older, than me, lady facing the other way but she sort of half looked over her shoulder as if she heard me. As I pardoned myself while getting past her around the corner another woman, probably younger than me, looked at the thing and silently did the same by way of a double take side eye. I was only about eight feet away and caught her response at the thing as I was finishing speaking to the older lady. I pointed at that the thing and said to the younger lady, "That's exactly what I did! What in the hell is it?"

The younger lady and I both moved closer to the thing while on either side of the older lady who now turned around to face us. The thing was a rather simple yet ornate wrought iron affair of rods and ornate scroll work at either end. I then noticed that there were loops for hanging and that it was perpendicular to it's proposed orientation. I said it was something that hangs, while the older lady said, "for pots?" and the younger lady said, "Oh, yeah, a hanging pot/pan rack!" and then we all laughed about it for a moment and how it was a mystery solved by the three of us.

I have some interesting and amusing encounters there. It's a cramped little store with a ton of stuff moving through it every day which lends itself to creating conversation while squeezing past each other. I always wear a mask in there.

I guess I do it for the same reason, I don't get out much and I'd rather have a pleasant encounter with the people I see in my outings than not. Maybe it will make their day... how can that be bad?

[mopinko]

4. it cant be bad.

it can b the 1 bright spot in a shitty day, or it can be the icing on a great 1.
either way, it was free.

[2naSalit]

6. True.

Making the day for someone who has a menial job or one where few interactions are positive is kind of a mission if they have to handle a problem for me. Even when they are just "there". I have worked enough of those type jobs and remember how many rude people or not considerate people I encountered per shift. Same with tipping, if the service is good I tip well. I always leave a tip for appropriate tipping situations but if the service is better than just good, I give more. I have also lived on tips in the past, not for long, but it's something you rarely forget.

And people should just be nice to each other instead of trying to top the latest insulting one liner they've heard somewhere, or worse, just jerks who set about each day trying to make life suck for someone else.

[Diamond_Dog]

5. I love the motto of

“Be an anti - Karen”

[Tesha]

7. I've worked an 800-line for a couple of years

and I have to tell you that when people are just nice, you're grateful.

But when they are sweet and kind? It makes your whole day.

[mopinko]

13. thanks for telling me that.

i havent had a retail type job in ages, but i remember.

[ms liberty]

8. I am the same way. It makes life so much more pleasant for everyone!

Billy Joel said it: I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints, the sinners have much more fun.

[mopinko]

14. srsly, 1 reason i like smoking

is that you meet the best ppl in smoker’s hell. and the humor targets r soooo juicy.

[mahina]

9. My Dad was the master of this art.

Hoping all goes well with it for you on all channels and nobody gets upset. Sounds like youve built joy in to your life. I’ll try to do more of that too but I am definitely not asking any randos to squeeze any of my bits.

Cheers you!

[mopinko]

11. well, she wasnt a rando.

i mean, i was sorta surprised she chuckled, cuz i figured she’d heard it a million times.
she was also on the phone when i walked in, so i sorta had a read on her.

i do try to grab the joy when i can. there’s a kurt vonnegut tale that goes around about his uncle who would always pause in those every day great moments and say- well, if this isnt nice, i dont know what is.
i think i say that to myself at least once a day. my garden, my dogs, and smiles. it’s about enough.

[cate94]

10. I was in a group at rehab

One of the guys said he realized he needed to be fixed. He went on to say he was hoping that he could get fixed in our facility. The third time he said a line about needing to be fixed I said “Jeff, whatever you do, don’t say that at the vet.” Everyone stared for a moment and the entire room started laughing. Including Jeff. Sometimes you just need to go for the low hanging fruit.

[mopinko]

12. oh, fersher.

i’m short, too.

[1WorldHope]

15. I'm amazed in how much joy I get from going to the grocery store and talking to strangers.

I go so often that yesterday I had to find a cheaper store. My friend says I need a new hobby.

[MOMFUDSKI]

16. I do the same.

Have fun and leave ‘‘em laughing. Got a wrong number call few months ago and next thing I know the guy is hitting on me. Tells me his age and how old was I and he would like to come and see me. It was getting real weird out so I said I had to go now. Always on the hunt for some fun

[Old Crank]

17. A lot of comments they have already heard

I stopped using them in the US. They don't come out right in German.
At my daughter's Safeway they had to ask you this cor a while. Can we help you out sir/madam? I replued, No need I'll see myself out. The cashier laughed and turned to my daughter who was behind me and said while laughing, Your dad right?

Some times I would get cash back and when my wife was with me I would hand her some and one of us would say, Same time next week?

[mopinko]

24. that's a pretty good one.

i do try to avoid the obvious dad jokes. not above a groaner, tho.

[Traildogbob]

18. I always

Make a point to read their name tag and address them by it, with and thank you and hope this day does you tight.

[mopinko]

21. i try to do that too.

i’m super bad w names, so i try to do this any way.

[Traildogbob]

26. Same here

Everyone should wear name tags😉. After 30 years of close to a hundred new Students each fall, I always run into formers, and have no clue their name. Thank God for Hey Man! Or hey Girl! “Pronouns” save my ass all the time.

[Unwind Your Mind]

19. This whole thread is so great

I like to call it Karma in the micro

I always talk to babies in the grocery store too, and dogs! Can’t forget dogs, master purveyors of love in public

[mopinko]

20. i talk to babies, too.

i play peekaboo w the cranky 1s.

[Unwind Your Mind]

22. Yes! Mama is often grateful for that 😊

[mopinko]

23. dont i know it.

raised 5 of them. a little peekaboo, or dangle some keys, like something sent form god.

[mopinko]

25. lol. well, i didnt expect this to go over THIS well.

sure glad it did, tho. it felt a little horn-tooty, but…

now y’all have to go forth and joke.

[Ziggysmom]

27. I love it! The Antika - also known as The Anti Karen's!

[mopinko]

28. i like it.