My Past On My Person

I currently work at a grocery store bakery. It is not a hard job. I take bread and other baked goods that someone else bakes, and I put them into various plastic containers. At 4, 5, and 6 o'clock I do bake four whole loafs of french bread.

My most recent former job was at the front desk of a four diamond hotel in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There was a lot of office work, major customer service, and some days there was even more problem solving tied to both of those. By the time I left I was very good at my job. I had my manager giving me indirect offers of promotion or raises. They changed in details every time. It was good to know that I was liked and wanted there. I also had guests telling me I was very diplomatic. That I should run for government office. Aww... if only they could tell from my smile that I was really just trying to get them away from my desk.

The point of all this, you ask? Well, I had a lady come up to me in the bakery today asking for the date. That was it. The date. From that I had this conversation (well, general conversation. I didn't memorize the thing):

Woman: "Where did you work before you worked here?"

Me: "I worked at the front desk of a hotel."

Woman: "I knew it! I knew you did not look like you belonged in a grocery store."

Me thinking: "really, could you tell that from my awesome apron?"

Me saying: "I did work there for a long time."

Woman: "You look good in suits, you naturally look professional."

*then she proceeded to talk to me about how she is from New York and she can tell right away that I belong in an office. That I look like an accountant. That I am a special person. then there was something about things with-in coming out, but how things with-out can not come in... yea she went in a loop on this one for a while.

It was both strange and strangely complimentary. As someone who has worked in customer service for most of my adult life I have never thought of one job being over another. I still don't. Quite frankly, this woman is someone who I usually make fun of in my head for being too arrogant. I don't think she understood that a front desk agent was only half office work and all customer service.

This short encounter got me thinking.

How much of my past is on my person at all times? When I think about who I used to be, and who I have become I see a much different woman. I see only me, as I am now. What do other people see though? I suppose the most one can do is put "the best foot forward" as they say. Plus, a little glimpse into my past by interpreting my present behaviors has a certain amount of fun to me.

*What made this a little funnier for me, was when not three minutes later I was thirsty and instead of taking the time to walk across the store and up the stairs to get a drink in the break room, I decided to go and drink directly from the faucet. Yep- the epidemy of professionalism RIGHT HERE.