people person?

i have always considered myself a people person. i enjoy talking..a lot. i enjoy listening to others talk. it's fun to observe others and learn new things about people that are different from me. i feel that all of these things make me a pretty damn personable people person. (say that five times fast)

that is, of course, until i got a job dealing almost solely with the public.

working at a grocery store for nearly 4 years will give you a lot of experince with people. unfortunately, a chunk of that experience isn't exactly positive. slowly but surely, i've learned that in general, people are rather rude, insensitive and self-centered. not to say that i don't encounter some very great people while cashiering away my days, but let's be honest here: my job has vitually stolen my people person abilities from me.

people refuse to put their cell phone calls on hold for a minute twenty seconds so that i can finish their transaction. they think they're clever and use all sorts of "original" lines that, in their mind, makes my day. things like "oh, you were waiting just for me, huh?" or "well, you look bored. i'll help you out." then there's the creeps who must get confused and think they're at some dimly lit stripshow rather than a grocery store, because they feel the need to hit on me with ridiculous come ons. might i add that the majority of these studmuffins are old enough to be my father or even grandfather. and finally, those people that are just downright mean and rude for no real reason. i smile, i inquire about their day, i ever so gently weigh their produce as not to bruise them. and yet, somehow, i still become the person that they must unload all of their built up anger and aggression. and after getting shit on for a good six hours a day, you really begin to hate people in general.

this is why i'm a very different person outside of work. when i don't have to be in my work zone; the place where i have to care about every stranger's problem, every customer's happiness. the place where i have to laugh at every stupid "joke" that i hear twenty times a day.
don't mistake this bitterness for not being appreciative of my job. i know i'm lucky to have one and sometimes i actually happen to enjoy myself. it's those pesky people that fry my brain.