Letter to the Editor: Have a nice day!

In a world of ever increasing social distancing we are now faced with the constant reminder to have a nice day! You can’t purchase a single item from the store now without having to be told to have a nice day. But there is the double entendre. It may suggest “I wish you all the best today” which is very nice but when it is delivered with no real meaning we know the cashier could give a diddly about our day, if she did she might say something on a more personal level but she is done with you now, wants you to move on so she can get to the next person in line.  And herein lies the loss of all the charm.  You are not free to speak about your day or your dog or the weather, you must move right along and have a nice day.  Sometimes, like the other day when I was chewed out for taking the time to break the dog biscuit in half for my dog so he would accept, it it makes me want to break down and just start crying right there in my coffee. Just to give my dog a second of quality time I was told is inconsiderate to the people in line behind me but I guess they were not expected to be considerate to me. The cashier is now baring her teeth and saying “Have a nice day!” a few octaves higher and my dog better have a nice day too and quick about it. But where is the charm in this impersonal phrase that makes you feel like a pea in a pea factory when a simple “Thank you” would do or maybe a “See ya” that makes you feel welcomed there? Hope to see you around.

Rain Ruscelli

Beckwourth