I finally decided that I had to stop running from myself and had to deal with my issues. In November I started trying to get sober; and I had some legal issues to clear up. I’m a Flautist; but I couldn’t work in my field with my legal issues so I had to show the courts that I was worthy of ----. I had to get a job.
My first job was as an in-store shopper. One evening after I got off of work, from which I had to take a bus, then Bart, then two more buses to get home. I ended up missing one of those buses, which had a domino effect; and I ended up having to wait in Dublin for 3 hours until the next bus. I remembered that I heard the Whole Foods was hiring – and I wasn’t getting enough hours as an in-store shopper, so I walked over, applied, and met the manager. I got the job.
I started on February 25th as a bagger. I’m a cashier now. Initially, my cashier training was delayed because the Coronavirus started to hit California and the store was swarmed with people. It was insane. I saw the panic in people’s eyes. I could feel the anxiety coming from everyone, including my co-workers. I remember coming out of the breakroom and seeing the empty shelves. Then I became anxious. I started saying the serenity prayer over and over. I let go and accepted that this is our new reality.
Everyone else has seemed to calm down too. Sure, you have some people who are still anxious. But I try to give everyone some positivity. I’ve realized that the whole thing is a performance. I’m on stage (just like when I am playing my flute). My instrument is the cash register; my sheet music is the book of codes; the ergonomic map that all of us cashiers stand on is my stage; and the customers are my audience.
