Shaking old man was feeling embarrassed for being slow at check-out — then cashier's response surprised other customers

We often meet many elderly people who become slow in their activities due to age and illnesses. For them, simple chores or even walking become an unbearable task. There can be a variety of responses coming from younger people during such situations, but the best one is to be considerate of how they are feeling and empathize with them. A woman named Spring Herbison Bowling shared a similar encounter on Facebook that she witnessed between a cashier at Walmart and an elderly man in 2017. The senior shopper was slow to check out and had many thoughts running through his head. The cashier eased them all with a humble gesture while leaving an inspiring lesson for other shoppers to witness.

There is an endless list of reasons why older people have problems with flexible movement, according to Medical News Today. These include slow metabolism, larger consumption of energy for simple tasks, loss of muscle mass and so on. Alaa A. Ahmed, PhD, professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, shared some insight. “With age, our muscle cells may become less efficient in transforming energy into muscle force and ultimately, movement. We also become less efficient in our movement strategies, possibly as compensation for lower strength. So we recruit more muscles, which costs more energy to perform the same tasks,” the professor explained. 

It can be challenging for elderly people, not just physically but also mentally, to deal with such significant changes. And the way we respond leaves an impact. Fortunately, for a senior shopper at Walmart, this impact was illuminating. Another shopper standing at the back of the senior man was waiting in line to check out when she noticed the event unfold. “My heart was warmed at Walmart during lunch. This gentleman's items were scanned and he was given the total. He looks apologetically back at me and starts taking handfuls of change out of his pockets,” she wrote. It was further explained that in his hurry to get done, “he miscounted and started to get flustered.”

The elderly man apologized, trying his best to get it done quickly. The shopper also noticed that his “hands and voice were shaking.” He must have felt uncomfortable and embarrassed, but the cashier had his back. “This beautiful cashier takes his hands and dumps all the change on the counter and says, ‘This is not a problem, honey. We will do this together,’” Bowlin recalled. The cashier helped him get the change as required. The man continued, “to apologize to both,” but they ensured that it was completely fine. “They get his transaction handled, and he shuffles away. I looked at this wonderful woman and said, ‘Thank you for being so patient with him,’” the post read.

However, the cashier had an even more pleasant reply. She said, "You shouldn't have to thank me, baby. What's wrong with our world is we've forgotten how to love one another." “I want to be more like her,” the shopper remarked. The cashier left a wonderful reminder for many. Adam Herbison wrote, “You put goodness in, and you get goodness out.” Christy Miller Wood remarked, “Love one another! So easy. Why do people have such a hard time?”