August 19, 2022
Dear Friends,
We have all heard a certain name uttered in a judgy way at times when it comes to a person’s antics. I am sure some of us have been called that name too. I have no idea why this name has come to mean an angry demanding patron at a store or in life, but sadly we all know our Karen’s or the male equivalent of Ken or Chad, or more likely just male Karen. I find this even more ironic as we have an anti-Karen, Karen who works in our office and is so far from that stereotype!
Why Fr. Brian are you bringing up Karen’s in an email? That my friends is simple! Sometimes we need to be reminded not to be that person. Last night, I had to run to the store to pick something up. It was later at night and the store was about a half hour from closing. Having worked retail many years ago, I know how that last hour feels as you are trying to clean everything up, put things away and get ready to go home. In this instance, there were two clerks working the register and a handful of people in line to buy/return things. As I am got closer to the register, I witness an exchange between the clerk and the individual in front of him. The short story is the person who made the return wanted cash back, since he paid with his debit card. He did not want the money put back on the card (which technically, you can do). In this instance, maybe because it was the amount or possibly the store policy to not do that, the clerk said, sorry we don’t do that.
You know where the story goes from here. I witnessed a spectacle of anger and vitriol that was unfounded directed at this poor 17/18-year-old who was just doing his job and probably counting the minutes until freedom. The thing that got me was not that the return was denied, or the amount being returned was denied, just the fact the store would not give the person cash. The reason they were so upset was that it takes 2-3 days to get put back on the debit card, where cash is in hand. I get it. In this case, the customer was technically right, but still wrong. Sometimes life is going to hand us disappointments. Sometimes we will get annoyed. It does not give us the right or privilege to treat others poorly as people seem to be doing.
I understand disappointment but we need to be better than this. During today’s daily mass, the Gospel came from St. Matthew: what is the greatest commandment? Love the Lord your God with all your heart…. The second is love your neighbor as yourself. I cannot emphasize how important it is to show that love. To treat others better. It shouldn’t be a wisdom and whimsy from me. Yet here it is. Originally, I had another idea planned but after what I witnessed last night, an today’s Gospel, I feel like we need to remember and be reminded over and over again. It shouldn’t take this much effort to love our neighbor and be kind. Sure, we can still be annoyed, but we do not need to take it out on the poor people who are just doing their jobs. Don’t be a KAREN, but instead be like Christ and love your neighbor.
God Bless,
Fr. Brian
P.S. Who is the patron saint of shopping? St. Francis de Sales. Oh do I ever love that joke.