Can I Interest You In A Tea Cookie?

There are many facets to my job in the bakery that were not spelled out by the employee handbook. My work provides challenges I never envisioned when I took this job, like how to shoo away all of the drooling diabetics from the doughnut counter, or how to write "Happy Birthday Grandpa" on a cake in Hungarian or Greek.

One of the most rewarding features is seeing the look of relief on the face of a desperate parent when I put a free cookie into the hand of their screaming progeny and the kid shuts up. You have to be quick, but you can look around and see the other shoppers sigh too, now that the only audible annoyance is the Muzak.

Most of the kids mutter a "thank you" in between bites and the mothers are often a little forward in their gratitude, especially one young lady who offered to lick my cream cheese icing. Another suggested something about her muffin, but I wasn't listening.

The dads just nod and throw the cart into reverse and head for the cold beer.

My job has challenges. How about yours?

Doc