Norm!
When I was a little kid my dad would call me “toaster” around bedtime. I’d be put to bed then pop! I was up. Put back to bed and pop! Back up. Most of the time it was just because I was restless and didn’t want to lay in bed. One thing I did like about popping out of bed all the time was I could hear the tv that my mom was watching. Even though it’s probably not true at all, I felt like “cheers” reruns were always on. I remember thinking how awesome it was that Norm would walk in and everyone would know his name! (Just like the theme song said)
I was reminded of this randomly the other day when I walked into my pharmacy and they looked up, saw me and started grabbing things. I was next. So I walked up and the young lady goes “Laura right?” I smiled and said yes and told her my birth year. I looked to the left and saw the pharmacist who once snuck me insulin (yeah, that really happened….but that’ll take a whooole other post) he smiled and we nodded a mutual nod at each other. I paid for my prescriptions and I went about my day.
Thing was, they remembered me. Now a case can be made in a few different ways here : 1. I am a betic and therefore pick up quite a few things there 2. The man did completely break the law for me once and most likely memorized everything about me in case he ever needed a favor and 3. I’m a damn betic and pick up quite a few things there! I found it confusing. Was this nifty he remembered me? Was it sad? Well…..It’s almost sad. (Though I’m not sure that your local bar knowing your name is thaaaaat much different…) I found myself wondering how many other people he remembered….how many other chronic diseases walked through those doors every day?
I decided that since I’m in the customer relationships field myself to just enjoy the great customer experience I had there. … Not that it shut my mind off from it any! How many other betics walked in there on a daily basis? Did they get upset too that they have the store memorized better than their kitchen cabinets? Did they think about how they’ll most likely be going here longer than any other single store? Or, did my mind just work in a way like others’ didn’t?
It didn’t matter I supposed, in the long run. It was what it was. I am a diabetic and pharmacies and pharmacists will always be in existence for me. And those of you betics who know what I’m talking about: I challenge you to think “NORM!!!!” in your head every time you walk into your local pharmacy from here on out and dare you not to smile (even if only in your head). For better or worse, pharmacies are a part of our lives. And hey, it’s still better than being an alcoholic and everyone yelling your actual name when you walk in a bar!