By Rosina S.K. Newton

I started working at Whole Foods in March of 2016. When our Somerset store moved to Birmingham in October 2017, I moved from the Produce department to the Store Support Team—otherwise known as the cashiers.

I felt right at home with this huge team. The managers had a positive and respectful communication style. There is a beautiful diversity of ages, skin colors, and personalities. We serve a diverse array of customers, too—some in minks and some using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). I’ve met a famous drummer, a singer, a chef for the Detroit Lions, yoga teachers, and accountants.

I love the steady stream of one face after another, new people and regulars. I shift my focus, adjusting to each person, assessing their needs, and—on a good day—I exchange some health or gardening advice, a positive message, or a dad joke.

What did the bra say to the hat? “You go on ahead, and I’ll give these two a lift.” (Thanks, Lauren Crane, of Taller Than They Appear for that one!)

So this is how my days go—exchanging energy, information, and laughs with multitudes of people. It is a great gift to me when someone says, “You just made my day!” I learn so much from my customers that I carry a small notebook. I’ve shared deep, moving conversations and important information with hungry shoppers who glide through my line. The quality and length of our exchange is only limited by the number of items in their cart, the number of customers in line behind them, and our mutual willingness to share. Sometimes I am dishing out quips, comedy, and wisdom so rapid-fire my station feels more like my stage or my pulpit. These are the good moments. Yes, it can be monotonous and much harder on the body than you might think, but rich connections with fellow staff and customers are what make this job worthwhile to me.

I am pretty sure I coined the phrase “cashiering as a spiritual practice.” I don’t know any other job where I could get this much practice to be my best self with scores of unique people every day. Of course, it’s easy and rewarding to serve someone who is competent, friendly, and polite. The actual spiritual practice happens when someone is not blessed with these qualities. How do I feel when a customer is on her cell phone during the entire transaction, never making eye contact, and barely a thank you? What are my thoughts when someone is overtly rude, demanding, or both? What if someone is looking down on me, as they perceive my “station in life” beneath theirs? How about the customer whose eyes are burning a hole in me because she is in a hurry and thinks the long line is my fault? With humility, I realize I’ve been “that impatient customer” before, too. See how many opportunities I have to practice every day?

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Now, I won’t even begin to analyze what happened on the state, national, or global level since mid-March of 2020. I cannot imagine what it’s been like to be a health care worker during these times. My prayers, great respect, and gratitude go to all those working to keep our fellow citizens healthy and alive these past nine months. I am grateful to have a job and to have this job. It feels like a gift to communicate with customers, hearing firsthand how they are feeling, perceiving, and adjusting through this surreal shared trauma.

At first, the effects of the pandemic crept in slowly. Some staff and customers began voluntarily wearing masks. Then it hit us like a freight train. I remember the first two days after the looming lockdowns were announced, when it really got crazy. Everyone in the world decided to shop at the same time. I work well in a crisis, thank goodness, but this was obviously unlike anything we had ever seen. Lines were non-stop at each register, sometimes running half the length of the store. I rang up my first $1,000 sale. Colleagues from other departments, some who had never cashiered before, were pitching in to help ring up or bag groceries. Store managers made PA announcements informing customers that yes, we were doing everything to help the lines run faster. Please be patient because we had “all hands on deck.” We hunkered down, rang canned food, rice, pasta, beans, frozen food, and yes—even toilet paper. People were panic shopping. When our shifts were over, we shared with each other in guilty tones that we were panic-shopping, too—if there was anything left. The human fear response can be contagious. The sight of one empty shelf after another was disorienting. We took photos. I posted on social media. Then someone I respect, maybe Brené Brown, advised us not to post the photos of empty shelves. It only increased the panic and fear, she said. I removed the post gladly, all the while recognizing that adrenaline reward of having “insider info.” To me, though, promoting peace and calm was worth more than the ego rush.

It was a miraculous vision to see the shelves even partly restored to their former fullness the next morning. This occurred thanks to the overnight elves. They must have had quite a shock reporting for duty that first night after the fear of starvation hit the communal fan.

During the complete lockdown, it was just grocery stores, hospitals, liquor stores, gas stations—along with other “essential businesses”—that were still open. The commute was a breeze—and eerie. We monitored the number of shoppers in the store and kept it to a minimum. Only the bravest souls and those without compromised immunity came to shop. Many were shopping for family members, neighbors, or friends. Customers were not in a hurry or talking on their cell phones. Every fourth or fifth customer looked me in the eye and sincerely expressed, “Thank you for being here.”

Read related article: Sustaining our Spiritual Journeys

I am sure I was not alone in the process of learning the ropes of pandemic hygiene. I soon learned it would be impossible to be 100% perfectly hygienic and still function with my sanity intact. I watched the video of the nurse explaining that gloves do not have superpowers—they also transmit germs if you touch a bunch of stuff with gloved hands, then your phone or your face. We were all doing the best we could. We all were, and still are, dealing with the cloud of Covid over our heads. The news, numbers, and stories of death, loss, and confusion are overwhelming if we ponder them for too long. Frankly, I’m amazed at how everyone has continued to function as well as we have.

The customers who enter our store seem to be a microcosm of what’s in the news. I’ve witnessed extremism on both ends of the spectrum, from complete denial to absolute, irrational panic. We have customers who refuse to wear masks. We have customers who are clearly fearful to be out in public and wrap everything in plastic bags. A woman walked in recently and began proselytizing—loudly enough for us to hear on Lane 6—that the end is near, and we should repent. The best moments—and there have been many—are the ones where people simply share with me what’s really going on, what they are learning, and what they are grateful for.

Here is a sampling of the most memorable customer quotes, especially from the lockdown:

I have never looked forward to grocery shopping this much in my entire life!
I talked to my lawyer today, just to let him know. Today is the day I will put arsenic in my husband’s coffee.
Did you see the photos of the clear skies over China? Los Angeles? India? We have the power to eliminate air pollution in one week!
The next time I see my kids’ teachers, I am going to give them a huge gift basket!
I have so much more appreciation for teachers now!
I am not good at homeschooling.
Helping our children do their schoolwork, my husband and I realized that we had no idea how much our children knew! My husband and I now meet every week to talk about what’s going on with our kids.
We just need the vaccine. Everything will be fine when we get the vaccine.
We are very lucky. We are very grateful. All of our family members are healthy.
I am a nurse. It’s worse than they are saying.
I had Covid. I’m fine now, but I had such a fever. It really messed with my mind.
Do you know how many people have died from Covid? Zero! ZERO!
It’s the Plandemic.
There is no virus. Do you know anyone personally who has had the virus? (No.) See?
(A young person, after I asked, “How are you doing?”) Oh, we’re great, of course. We’re young! We’ll be fine!
There is so much shaming going on. (Cue Brené Brown conversation).
It’s best if we don’t talk. My doctor said.
My husband missed out on seeing our first child’s first steps because he was at work. Now that he’s working from home, he got to see our second child’s first steps. It was wonderful!
This virus is teaching us what is really important in life. Family. Connection. All the rushing around I used to do! I never really spent time with my family.
Something had to happen. We can’t go on living the way we were!
This is God’s way of saying, “Go to your room!”

In conversations in the grocery line and elsewhere, many of us agree that we humans, especially in the U.S., have so much to learn. My prayers include the grandest of wishes—recovery, health, vitality, wisdom, harmony, and justice for all. Let’s get through this together.