The things that get you down

Selling lots of tickets to Wallace and Gromit tonight, and that is exciting, despite the fact that we have no sidewalk and the forms are up, so getting through the front doors of the theatre feels a little like a obstacle course/lawsuit waiting to happen.

I can't shake this sunk feeling I have in my gut right now. A guy and girl in their late 20's came up to the counter with three kids (siblings to one of the couple I believe) tonight to buy tickets to Wallace and Gromit. The guy asked for 3 kids and 2 adults. After scanning the kids faces I pointed out that our child rate was for children 12 and under. The guy looked me in the eye, tipped his head a little to the side, and said "yeah" as he nodded his head affirmatively and widened his eyes a little. I paused for a second and turned to ring in the tickets when the boy (around 11) piped up with “no, Taylor is not. . .” until the guy cut him off with a very sharp “Thank-You Jason.” I proceeded to ring in 3 adult and 2 child tickets as the woman turned and said “Jason when you start paying for things you will realize that things are different.” As I gave him the tickets I turned to the boy and told him that honesty is still the best way to go. She again chirped in with “No, it really isn’t.” After a slight pause, during which I looked at the woman and then back at the kid, I said “I disagree. But regardless the movie is good.”

Reliving the moment I don’t feel quite as bad anymore. I guess I did what I could and hopefully rekindled whatever morality and child still has left. But still moments like that, when that woman looked right at this little kid and said “no it really isn’t” make the bottom of my stomach drop and a little acid rise in the back of my throat. And the worst part, seem to kill any hope or fun I have floating in my heart at the time.