the five guys cashier, 1.30.24

i went to peabody to look for pants for work since i ripped two pairs in the past two weeks. they didn’t have skinny pants in-store, only online. while i was in the area, i decided to grab a bite to eat at five guys. as soon as i walked in, the cashier asked me how i’ve been. i told him i’ve been good as a customary response to a customary question. after i ordered my food, he asked me how i was again. i told him the same answer: i’m good, what about you. something about his demeanor seemed genuine, so we carried on a conversation after ordering for a minute or two. i asked him where he got his piercings, and he said amazon. i told him i meant where he got them, and he said there was this place in peabody that’s no longer here, but that pierced utopia in square one was a good place. i’ve literally heard that from 4/5 people in the past two weeks, which is damn near how many people i’ve asked. minutes later, he called my receipt number (28) and i went to sit and eat. as i finished and walked out, i thought of when the last time a stranger genuinenly asked me how i was doing and i couldn’t remember. it was almost like kevin spacey at the end of american beauty, minus the pedophilia and the suicide attempt.

point being, just that one short conversation stemming from him asking me how i was doing made my night.

-ratha, 10:37pm, 1.30.24