By Ann Larson
Source: Time
Cindy had been bagging groceries for nine years when I became her colleague at a grocery store in Utah.
My coworkers agreed to speak with me about their experiences, so long as they remained anonymous.
Cindy is in her late 70s. When we worked together, she distributed candy and stickers to the children who came through her line and wowed shoppers with her ability to lift 12 packs of soda and 20 lb. bags of kitty litter into carts.
Cindy was also a gifted storyteller. She regaled workers and shoppers alike with tales from her time as a high school majorette. “I marched at football games and twirled a baton—a baton that was on fire!” A great-grandmother, Cindy had not lost her flair for the dramatic. She wore colorful eye shadow and adorned her employee uniform with beaded necklaces and brooches more suitable for a Mardi Gras parade than a supermarket.