There is so much pain in this world

I was almost early to work this morning. That is amazing with this new job. I haven't been late but I always seem to get there at the same time. It doesn't seem to matter what time I leave. I was almost at work when I realized that I forgot Tampons. There is a gas station on my way to work and I knew that it would be expensive but it would definitely be worth it. I pulled in and found the tampons, took them to the counter to pay.

As I was waiting in line I noticed that the person behind the register seemed very uncomfortable. She seemed to go from uncomfortable to in pain just before my eyes. I hate to see anything in pain. As I stood there the manager of the store came in. The woman behind the counter asked the manager where her stool was. She was in pain because she has a spinal injury that requires her to sit instead of stand. The manager proceeds to tell her that he took it home with weekend but he'll bring it back tomorrow. He didn't make eye contact. He didn't even seem to care at all. It was almost like a joke to him.

I paid for my tampons and asked the woman if he had anything for her to sit on. She said that the two milk crates behind the counter were for her. They did not look comfortable in the least and they were too short for her to sit on and work the register anyway. She started to cry when I asked her. She was trying not too but tears were streaming down her eyes. She gave me my change and thanked me for noticing. What do you say to that? Have a nice day? Obliviously not.

I started to walk out of the store but I was so upset. I wanted to talk to the manager. I was afraid that if I did, he would be mean to her and make her even more miserable. I actually stopped in the doorway and just stood there for a second trying to figure out what to do. I knew that I could be making things worse for her but I was getting sick just thinking of her being in pain like that.

I finally decided that I had to say something. I politely walked up to him. I asked him if he was the manager. I told him that I was paying when I noticed that the women behind the counter was in pain. I told him that she did not say anything to me but that I believe that it is totally unacceptable for her to not have something to sit on. I told him that if something was not done, I would not shop there anymore. He told me that he would get something for her. He said that if I stopped by tomorrow, I would see the stool.

Now he was nice about it but still. I don't know what he did next. Did he feel guilty for his behavior? Did he make some kind of arrangements for her? Did he go and yell at her the minute that I left?

It isn't much of a threat to say that I'm not going to shop there anymore because I had never shopped there before today. I don't often have an emergency situation with Tampons and don't imagine that I will often. I don't buy my gas there because it is very expensive. I just had to say something.

So often we see things in the world that are wrong and we feel that we have no control over them. There seems to be nothing that we can do to make this world better. I couldn't just drive away without saying something. How could he know that she was in pain and there was something simple that he could do to elevate it?

I'm going to have to leave early today again. I will have to take my money with me to buy something if she has a stool. I don't know what I will do if she doesn't or if she isn't even there but I know that I have to go back.

We shouldn't be silent anymore.