A woman in her late fifties with several Masters degrees, told me this evening that she walked off her $11/hr job at Trader Joe's while her home is in foreclosure and she was just about to qualify for health insurance benefits. 5 minor infractions, one of them a false accusation, yet still held against her. She struggled with her tears as she told me how responding to a customer's inquiry with "I don't know" (to be followed up by an offer to go and find out) while another employee competitively provided the answer, got her yet another complaint against her. She worked the late night shift and I have no doubt that she did the best she could. I feel for her, and in turn for me and those of us that have individuality and personality and do not function on automatic and do not easily blend in. I have no doubt that in her position I would have similar experiences. Getting older, unable to get, much less keep a job and harboring fears of losing one's home and becoming a Bag Lady is not for sissies!
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