The pleasure of being WIG’d

Last Wednesday I was at the checkout counter at the Key Market across the street. I had bought some fruit—a few bananas, a few apples—when I realized I’d forgotten something.

The friendly young lady at the checkout counter, with the funky glasses, says “Can I get you a bag for this?”

“No thanks, I meant to bring my own bag but I just never remember to bring it,” I replied.

And to this she says, “It’s easy to forget, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it sure is!” I beamed, feeling happily accepted and understood.

What a great WIG. She had beautifully summed up what I’d said, in her own words, in a way that said to me “it happens, it’s normal.” Plus she didn’t follow up with a suggestion or an idea. Not that that would have been a disaster, but it was nice to just be left alone to consider a solution to my forgetting—or not.

It’s funny thinking back on this experience because it was such a brief, casual exchange. And yet I still remember how great it felt to be acknowledged so simply and skillfully.

And it is encouraging for me to think that the benefits of Supportive Listening, and a well placed WIG, however brief, can brighten someone’s day. Try it.