My Dry Cleaner

For the past eight years I have been using the same dry cleaner.  It's not that they clean the clothes any better than previous dry cleaners, it's the fact that they make the process so easy and dare I say pleasurable.  They provide colorful bags labeled with your name, automatic billing and rush orders if necessary.  But most importantly, the girl who manages our location is fantastic (and the only reason I do not use their door-to-door service).

I probably visit the dry cleaner twice a month with two very full bags of dirty clothes.  Today I was greeted with my favorite manager and although we have always been cordial, today was the first time we had an in depth conversation. Like my friend Sarah, I enjoy meeting and talking to new people and my dry cleaner is a perfect example of why.

What I learned about her in our brief 10 minute conversation:
- She is about 15 years older than I had thought
- She is non-judgmental and extremely observant
- She is a diligent and conscientious worker who takes pride in her store and appreciates the owner's confidence in her.
- She recently had to fire some terrible workers and she was really affected by it.  She wanted to give these kids a chance and took both personal and professional efforts to make them successful.  Unfortunately, it sounds to me like she was taken advantage of.

This short conversation with a relative stranger (I mean I don't even know her name) made me think about the lives of the strangers around me.  Regardless of technology, there really is no substitute for person to person interface.