Wal*Mart greeter guy

it's cool that Wal*Mart had a greeter to say hi and put hot-pink stickers on items you're returning. it's cool because it's a job that the older, less mobile folks in our community can handle. most of the greeters that work at the Ephraim Wal*Mart are pretty mellow, saying 'hi' or 'hello' as an expression of acknowledgement. but there's this one greeter guy...

this guy is average height and weight. he looks like he's about 53 years old and he's got white hair that he parts on the side and combs back. his face is kind of square-shaped and his mouth is always poised. he's got a pretty intense look. not creepy intense but conviction intense. and the look is emphasized because he wears glasses - the kind that a lot of average men wear that aren't square but aren't circle either - the kind that look very practical and sort of industrial. anyway, of course he wears his royal blue Wal*Mart vest and usually grey slacks (a cotton-poly blend would be my guess).

he's very attentive. he greets with vigor. usually it's 'welcome to Wal*Mart!' and every now and then he throws something else in with it ('welcome back to school' in the fall, 'welcome to where it's warmer' just the other day, and so forth and so on). and he always makes eye contact.

sometimes he's the greeter as you leave... so i guess that would make him the good-byer? in any case when he's doing that job he says, 'thanks for shopping Wal*Mart.' but it's kind of all run together and in a Sanpeter accent - more like, 'thankfershoppinwohlmar.' and of course, eye contact.

i've made it a sort of game to try to sneak by him to avoid and contact - especially when he's good-bying because the 'thankfershoppinwohlmar' makes me laugh... and cringe at the same time. i want him to re-lax and just say 'thanks' or even a nod will do. i mean, i go to Wal*Mart pretty often since it's really the only place to buy things here in Ephraim so 'thankfershoppinwohlmar' is starting to bug me. i know i should just let it be but man! it's so annoying.

'thankfershoppinwohlmar.'

'thankfershoppinwohlmar.'

'thankfershoppinwohlmar.'