It doesn’t happen often, but now and then, a younger person gives me a look that’s unmistakable in its intention: to show contempt for me—not as an individual but as a member of a group, one I don’t embrace with enthusiasm.
I am curious, did his berating include comments about you being old, or was he just angry because he had to redo the transaction? Regardless, clerks should not be scolding their customers, even though we all know working in a pharmacy is miserable right now with the severe labor shortages.
You kind of had to be there. Usually, young people—especially those in service roles—treat their older customers with some modicum of respect. No eye rolling, no grunts or groans when we don’t “get it” right away. But this guy was impatient bordering on rudeness. I agree with you that working in a pharmacy can be miserable. I go out of my way to be polite and super-friendly when interacting with workers in retail settings…in every setting, come to think of it. What I can say is that I’ve been to the same pharmacy 2-3 times since the incident I wrote about, and I haven’t seen him again. BTW, I didn’t complain about him, but I suspect others may have.
Thanks so much for your comment, Cynthia—I really appreciate it!
Likely that young person didn't even realize their own reaction. It seems that many people younger than (let's say) ~45 are so conditioned to dismiss older adults, they are completely ignorant of how to treat others with respect and dignity as a starting point. And it should be the starting point.
Thanks, Margaret. Older (and disabled) adults get the short end of the stick regularly, from my observations. We could all do with a little more kindness and patience quite frankly.
In the piece, I also wrote about the way we internalize ageism and turn it against ourselves. We need to remind ourselves that we have dignity, as do all the other humans on the planet. Somehow, I feel that once we grasp this, it could have a ripple effect and maybe, just maybe, prompt our younger counterparts to treat us accordingly. On the other hand, like you, I'd welcome more kindness and patience!
If people insist on expressing "attitude", they are unlikely to grasp the irony implicit in "have a nice day." Perhaps they need to be reminded that they are hanging on by their fingernails, and it isn't in their interest to be snotty.
I am curious, did his berating include comments about you being old, or was he just angry because he had to redo the transaction? Regardless, clerks should not be scolding their customers, even though we all know working in a pharmacy is miserable right now with the severe labor shortages.
You kind of had to be there. Usually, young people—especially those in service roles—treat their older customers with some modicum of respect. No eye rolling, no grunts or groans when we don’t “get it” right away. But this guy was impatient bordering on rudeness. I agree with you that working in a pharmacy can be miserable. I go out of my way to be polite and super-friendly when interacting with workers in retail settings…in every setting, come to think of it. What I can say is that I’ve been to the same pharmacy 2-3 times since the incident I wrote about, and I haven’t seen him again. BTW, I didn’t complain about him, but I suspect others may have.
Thanks so much for your comment, Cynthia—I really appreciate it!
Likely that young person didn't even realize their own reaction. It seems that many people younger than (let's say) ~45 are so conditioned to dismiss older adults, they are completely ignorant of how to treat others with respect and dignity as a starting point. And it should be the starting point.
Thanks for your insightful comment, rache, and sorry it took me so long to acknowledge it!
Thanks, Margaret. Older (and disabled) adults get the short end of the stick regularly, from my observations. We could all do with a little more kindness and patience quite frankly.
In the piece, I also wrote about the way we internalize ageism and turn it against ourselves. We need to remind ourselves that we have dignity, as do all the other humans on the planet. Somehow, I feel that once we grasp this, it could have a ripple effect and maybe, just maybe, prompt our younger counterparts to treat us accordingly. On the other hand, like you, I'd welcome more kindness and patience!
If people insist on expressing "attitude", they are unlikely to grasp the irony implicit in "have a nice day." Perhaps they need to be reminded that they are hanging on by their fingernails, and it isn't in their interest to be snotty.