What I Learned from Disney

While in Florida last week I noticed something about Orlando. Just about everywhere we went people were really friendly. We stayed in an exceptionally nice hotel, the Shingle Creek. I kinda expected them to be nice because it cost big $ to stay there. Thank you Wesleyan Church for making a trip like this possible for us poor folks. But they were nice, very nice. Here's the thing EVERYONE down there was nice. I wonder if the influence of Disney World has caused the rest of the town to step up into the world of niceness. We walked around a lot while we were down there. You go into one of those "tourist" shops with all the knock off Disney stuff and the workers ask how you were, thanks for coming in and have a great day. It was great! Now my experience here in Marion is often quite different. Take for example that evil place, Walmart. I mentioned to Jaye I wish Walmart would send its workers down to Florida for training. I went to the pharmacy the other day. Two ladies were behind the counter working on their computers. I walked up, they both looked at me and neither one said a word. I have to admit, I'm kinda used to that at Walmart. I usually feel more like an inconvenience than a necessary, vital part of keeping their store open. I looked at my watch to see how long it would take for them to see they had a customer waiting to be helped. FOUR minutes standing there with my empty pill bottle before I heard those friendly words, "I'll be with you in a minute." I don't know how to write grouchy but that was how she said it. You'll never guess what happened, the phone rang.... she jumped right on it. A few minutes on the phone and she was done. She took my pill bottle, barked off some demands to me about not coming back for at least two hours and never once said anything like, "Sorry for the wait, I hate my job so I'm not going to be nice to you, drop dead"...nothing. I thought to myself I should just get right back in line cause it would take two hours to get anyone to speak to me again anyway. I wish I would have had my cell phone while I was standing there, I could have called in my prescription. At least one of the two would have picked up the phone. It's not just Walmart, have you gone to McDonalds? I've gotten to the point that I'll say to the girl taking my cash, "Wow, having a bad day are ya?" They don't get it. But back to FL...I don't think that would have happened down there. I miss the beach, but mostly I miss the friendliness. I wonder how this might translate to the church? ~Brian~