10 cheerful things to say while waiting in those long checkout lines

With just ten days until Christmas, the stores are getting more crowded and the checkout lines are getting longer. And longer. Soon the last-minute shoppers will join the throng. and things will get even worse. Or, they could get better – at least in your little corner of the world.

Waiting in line can be quite perturbing, to say the least, and we can let our impatience turn us into outright grumps. “For supposedly being a ‘merry’ time of year, people sure are grumpy!” a cashier once told me while I was Christmas shopping. Okay, she used a different word for “grumpy,” but I think you get my gist.

Her remark made me stop and think about why we were out shopping in the first place – to gather gifts to give in honor of the birth of Christ – the Light of the World. So, if that’s the reason, why are we out there darkening things with our crabby impatience? We know even before we leave the house, that there will be crowds, long lines, impatient shoppers and stressed out cashiers. Why not decide ahead of time to make the best of it? Even if it doesn’t feel like it, we’re still in Advent and we should be still working to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Light of the World. Why not try to reflect  the Light of the World for ourselves and others? That’s our Christian calling, and what better time than now to work harder at it?

Ever since I heard the cashier’s remark, I’ve tried to dump the grump and be the Light of Christ (to more or less success) while I’m out running Christmas errands. I found that even a simple cheery comment can make a huge difference in my own attitude and in the attitudes of others.

Here are ten cheerful things to say while waiting in those long checkout lines. The folks around you will think that you’re just trying to make nonchalant banter to pass the time. But in your heart, you’ll know that what you’re doing is answering your Christian calling to share the Light of Christ.

1. “What’s the best deal you’ve found so far?”

2. “I love the color of your coat (or mittens, or scarf, or…)”. Be careful to whom and how you say this one, though, because it could come off as a pick up line.

3. To parents: “It’s so hard for the little ones to settle down with all the jostling around and waiting in line, isn’t it? Thanks for being patient with them.”  Even if they’re not being all that patient, it will be a reminder that they might want to get a grip on it and calm themselves down before they try to calm down the kids.

4. “Wow, this is the third (or however many) time I’ve heard this Christmas Carol today.. So, what’s your favorite Christmas Carol?”

5. To the cashier: “They’ve got you working hard today, haven’t they? I admire the way you’re handling the stress.” Even if they aren’t handling the stress so well this will be an encouragement for them to try a little harder.

6. To the bagger: “These are special gifts. Thanks so much for packing them so nicely.” If they aren’t being so gentle with your items, you might try: “That’s kind of awkward to bag. Would you like a little help?”

7. To the person behind you in line: “Thanks for waiting so patiently. I know I’m going really slow today.” Of course, this one only works if you really did have a big order. If you only had one or two items, it comes across as sarcasm.

8. To the sales associate who comes back from the stockroom empty-handed: “I’m disappointed that there aren’t any more of those, but thanks anyway for taking the time to go look.”

9. Use non-verbals to lighten things up. Hold the door open for someone else, let someone else go in front of you in line, or wait for another customer to pass before racing into the aisle or help the elderly lady put the heavy box into her cart. Little gestures like these take barely any time and can bring an awful lot of cheer.

10. Smile – it will speak volumes. Have you ever looked around at the faces of the other shoppers? Most of them are scowling or stressing. If you had a mirror, you’d probably see yourself scowling and stressing, too. So smile, and your smile will become contagious. This one is especially good for people who are shy or just not in the mood to talk to anybody.

Certainly, we’re not always going to be successful in our efforts to be cheerful, but at least we’ll know we tried. That in itself will help us to be more cheerful, and our cheerfulness will rub off on others. Happy shopping!

photo credit: Stephen Damron, CC