Being a cashier has its advantages. For starters, you get to meet new people who come from every background imaginable. I’ve had customers from Mississippi, Ohio, Florida, Oregon, California, etc. These people have caused me to change my perspective on life.

1. The popcorn is always whiter on the other side.

I once found a customer standing at the end of the counter eating bags of popcorn. I promptly asked how I could help her, and she told me she was differentiating between colors and tastes of popcorn. She explained the method to her madness stemmed from the fact that she was hosting a party and wanted to present a platter of different colored popcorn to her guests. Her concern was that the white popcorn wasn’t white enough.

Seriously?

At that moment, I was thinking, “If that’s the only thing you have to worry about, then maybe it’s time to stop and take a breath.” It just goes to show that when we are so concerned about the whiteness of popcorn, we may need to stop and reevaluate our priorities. Sometimes, we need to appreciate the fact that we are able to worry about the color of popcorn. Anyway, that’s just an idea.

2. Like father, like daughter.

Usually, the expression goes “like mother like daughter” or “like father like son.” However, a father shopping with his daughter during one of my routine shifts challenged that saying. Instead of taking the groceries out of the cart and just passing it to his daughter, the father made an elaborate show of things and tossed them after forewarning his daughter to “look alive.” I thought to myself, they must have fun shopping on a usual basis. That, and it almost makes me wonder if this has the potential to become an Olympic event.

Why can’t we all look a little more alive?

This was an ‘you had to be there to see it’ kind of moment, but it can easily be recreated. It taught me that even the most simple, mundane tasks in life can be enjoyable with the right type of enthusiasm. But hopefully, the duo won’t do this with fragile antiques or anything like that.

3. Everyone can be a celebrity. 

Sure, this isn’t L.A, but, surprisingly, Naperville has its fair share of celebrity look-alikes. For example, I saw a couple who looked akin to Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. And the other day, I helped a woman who I swore looked like Penny from “The Big Bang Theory” at first glance. I’m sure these people don’t even think about it, but they could have a career as celebrity impersonators in Vegas.

The customers, celebrity look-alikes or not, who come into the store are often some of the kindest and most animated people I’ve met. When working in the type of environment I live in, I encounter people who have diverse personalities daily. These unique people are all around our community, always ready to make your day. Maybe my Penny isn’t a TV personality, but my coworkers and I always look forward to seeing her. Ultimately, the checkout lane is a runway for observation and perspective, and working there has provided me with a new outlook on Naperville’s diversity.