be like john

Our kids like when we take them shopping at Costco. Nothing too surprising: they usually get hot dogs or pizza at the end. This isn’t a Costco endorsement, but you’ve got to hand it to a store that can make both the kids and the parents happy.

Personally, I’m always a sucker for the samples they have. When I was young I had this idea that if I ever became homeless I’d somehow sneak in and live off of Costco samples. I see now the plan has flaws, but I can respect my younger self’s ambition. But I digress.

One thing my kids love most about Costco is John. John is one of the people who stands at the exit and checks your receipt to make sure you aren’t stealing things. I honestly don’t know how they can look at your floor-length receipt for one second then glance at your cart bulging full of stuff for another second then asses that everything is in proper order. I dunno, maybe they use magic to do it. They’re not checking your pockets for extra samples, that much I know.

Well, this guy John isn’t just a regular old receipt checker, no sir. When John gets your receipt he draws a couple smiley faces on the back. I assume you need to have kids to get the smileys, but I haven’t confirmed this theory.

To be truthful, the smileys are pretty sloppy. I mean, he draws them during the two second receipt and cart check, so what do you expect? But I’ll tell you this, they make my kid’s days.

There’s a lesson here. Creativity, the kind that makes an impact, the kind that matters, doesn’t necessarily require any special talent in order to be something special. 

It might not even take more than a second of your time. But when you take that second, when you add in a little extra something, then someone’s going to appreciate it. 

Who knows, you might even become the best part of an already fantastic shopping trip.