The Nosy Cashier

It was lunchtime on a regular workday. I headed out of the office to walk two blocks to a sandwich shop.

“What can I get for you ma’am?” said the gum smacking cashier behind the counter.

“Um, can I get the chicken salad sandwich please?” I responded.

“Sure.”

I walked along to the register while an attendant assembled my sandwich. As the cashier rung up my order I reached into my purse to find my wallet.

“Why do you always order the chicken salad?” she asked. I paused, not sure if I heard her correctly.

“What?”

“You always order the same sandwich when you come here. One time you even brought your friend here and you both ordered the exact same thing then too.” Even her gum chewing sounded judgmental.

 

“Well, uhhhhhh.” I didn’t know which was more surprising- the fact that this lady knew what I ordered the handful of times I came here or the fact that she was criticizing me for it.

“You should try the Italian turkey; it’s way better.”

I will admit that I was not particularly adventurous when I ate at this spot. The chicken salad sandwich had this special mayo, dried cranberries, walnuts, and, of course, chicken on freshly baked Italian bread. I was eating a bougie sandwich and it wasn’t cheap, especially if you ordered chips and a drink.

The one time I deviated from the usual and got a tuna sandwich, I didn’t like how it tasted. From then on I told myself I would not waste my hard earned money on food at this restaurant unless I was pretty sure I would enjoy it. Better safe than sorry.

After the incident with the nosy cashier, I didn’t go back to that restaurant for at least four months.

***

There are people who go to the same coffee shop or restaurant on a regular basis and the minute they walk in the cashier knows their name and their order without even having to ask. The person behind the counter refers to their customer’s order as “the regular.” They strike up a conversation about topics only friends would think to ask you about like your recent vacation to Guam or your family drama. These loyal customers seem to always show up to the shop around the same time each day and their presence becomes a part of the daily routine of the place.

I have never wanted to be that person. I purposely avoid going to the same food places super often because I don’t want them to know what I’m going to order before I do or know what time I’m going to show up before I even step foot through the door.

My encounter with the nosy cashier had turned me paranoid. Suddenly I would have to think about if I had gone to a restaurant within the past two weeks and if I had I wouldn’t allow myself to go back for fear of being recognized by the employees.

I began to question whether or not I was adventurous enough. Do I make an effort to get out of my comfort zone in all aspects of life? The answer is no. In some ways I do but not when it comes to my food choices. Being an avid foodie isn't good for my wallet but that's not the reason I don't try new things all the time. I like to eat but I'm entirely comfortable with not checking out new restaurants every week.

Not me.

 

Truth is I don’t like the idea of people, mainly strangers, thinking that I always play it safe. Sometimes my idea of a thrilling evening is playing board games or reading a new book. There’s nothing wrong with me enjoying the familiar. But when does that become unhealthy? I suppose that depends on the person. Everyone's idea of adventure is different. Beyoncé performing in front of millions of people is just a regular Tuesday for her but it'd be a completely new experience for me.

I'm not avoiding new experiences out of fear but because I turn my energy towards other things besides going to new restaurants or ordering something different off the menu. Discovering new foods isn't really super exciting to me. It's definitely delicious but not high on my list of hobbies. I'd rather learn something new than eat something new.

So to the lady at the sandwich shop- mind your own business. To everyone else- be adventurous, whatever that means to you.