Conversing With The Cashier

**7rider** · 03-13-2009, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by Zen

she- "Is that like exercise?"

Not so much a culture clash, more of a lifestyle clash

You were at Home Depot.

She probably had home improvement on the brain at that moment. She might have just had a long drag-out with someone over how the plywood rang up. "Pilates" was a totally out-of-context word to her that, at that split second, meant absolutely nothing to her.

Ya never know. It's all a matter of context. Hit somebody out of left field and you're bound to take her by surprise. Cut her some slack.

**BleeckerSt_Girl** · 03-13-2009, 03:48 PM

Believe it or not, there are TONS of people who have no idea what Pilates is.
Yes, even normal people.

**Zen** · 03-13-2009, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by 7rider

It's all a matter of context. Hit somebody out of left field and you're bound to take her by surprise.

Context.
She was already in context. Judging from my clothing she asked if I had been running.
I stand by lifestyle clash.

**GLC1968** · 03-13-2009, 04:32 PM

I have to agree with Zen. It's not the word 'Pilates' that threw the girl - she asked what that was and Zen responded.

The part that gets me is that when confronted with "core conditioning and stretching" the girl followed with "is that like exercise?" That's what made me think 'lifestyle clash' as well.

(good phrase, by the way)

**BleeckerSt_Girl** · 03-13-2009, 04:52 PM

I work on my core conditioning a lot every Fall....when I make applesauce.

About a year ago I started noticing women in restaurants yakking to their friends that they were 'in Pilates' and attending a group. I figured it was like Scientology or something.

I'm not involved with yoga, gym, spinning, meditation, weight lifting, aerobics, massage, etc....so I simply didn't have a clue what it meant. It's not in my world. And in turn, they probably didn't know a toptube from a headtube. We all have our areas of knowledge according to our interests, right?

**7rider** · 03-13-2009, 04:58 PM

I contend your statement "core strengthening and stretching" threw her.

Assuming everyone equates "core strengthening and stretching" with "exercise" is like saying everyone equates "hill repeats and intervals" with "bike riding."

**Aggie_Ama** · 03-13-2009, 04:58 PM

You might be surprised as a top notch college student I was also a cashier/returns girl/blinds cutter/paint mixer at Lowe's. Man I loved working in that environment! If I could have a normal schedule I would do it again with my degree from one of the better schools in our state.

No, not management I would mix paint.

And I don't really know what pilates is but I just smile and nod.

Of course I would understand anything with "conditioning" to be exercise so yes, possible lifestyle clash but it might have just been the way you expressed it that caught her off guard.

**GLC1968** · 03-13-2009, 05:12 PM

I'm sorry, but someone dressed in sweats mentions "core conditioning and stretching" and you have to ask if it's exercise? I mean, she obviously assumed that Zen was exercising already when she asked if she was running, right?

I don't know. I sure wouldn't have put the girl down or assumed that she was stupid, but I would certainly have walked away thinking "what different worlds we live in".

(oh, and to be clear, I am in no way putting down a cashier for being a cashier. I spent the first 7 years of my post college life in retail and spent many a day on a register...that has NOTHING to do with my thoughts on this)

**Zen** · 03-13-2009, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by GLC1968

t I would certainly have walked away thinking "what different worlds we live in".

THAT IS EXACTLY THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE AND SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU GET IT THAT I'M WRITING IN ALL CAPS

**sfa** · 03-13-2009, 05:27 PM

Well, it's hard to know what she meant by "exercise." She probably meant it as a synonym for "calisthenics" which IS what Pilates is like, but the word "calisthenics" is almost never used anymore, so I could see using the generic "exercise" to mean the more specific "calisthenics." It's very possible that in her brain she was seeing this type of exercise but didn't have the word for it, so instead came across as clueless.

Sarah

**Aggie_Ama** · 03-13-2009, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by GLC1968

(oh, and to be clear, I am in no way putting down a cashier for being a cashier. I spent the first 7 years of my post college life in retail and spent many a day on a register...that has NOTHING to do with my thoughts on this)

Oh I knew you weren't and Zen wasn't necessarily. It always made me laugh at Lowe's when someone talked to me or another college kid stupid. One of my cashiers I supervised was the smartest girl I have ever met but she grew up on the farm and barrel raced, it would floor me how people assumed she was stupid. They would talk down to her and all I would do is snicker because I knew who the idjut was. I think she graduated Magna or Summa *** Laude.

Of course people regularly confused me with an exchange like this because it was out of context at Lowe's.

**Zen** · 03-13-2009, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl

We all have our areas of knowledge according to our interests, right?

Exactly.

But then again, I don't fence but I know what an epee is.
But only because it's a frequent crossword puzzle word

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