I am guessing you don't line the rim with salt

June 28, 2011

As I told you, I am the acting store manager this week at The Target, so everyone gave me grief about not bringing doughnuts to work yesterday.  If I were ever the actual store manager, I do not think I would want my main contribution to be doughnuts.

So, as I walked the store yesterday, I came across a situation that I wondered if I was going to have to make a decision about.  Not that I made no decisions yesterday, I made a bunch (ie creamer with coffee, route to work, run the yellow light, what parking space-you know, important stuff), this decision just had the makings of something important and unusual.

As I turned a corner by electronics, I encountered a man and a woman and a baby.  As I started to ask if they needed any help, I noticed that the baby was hanging off the woman's breasticle-nursing.  Okay.

This was awkward at first because I had just asked her if she needed any help.  It was similar to the time I had walked up to a guest who had her back to me and asked if she needed any help finding anything.  As she turned around, it became apparent she was adjusting her bra strap.  It was also apparent that she was wondering if the person asking her was being weird or not.  I am quite sure the rush of blood to my face made it fairly clear that I had not intended to be weird or creepy-just bad timing.  In case you were wondering, she found what she was looking for.

As for my trip into the land of National Geographic periodicals yesterday, this guest did not need any help either.  Looked like she had it under control.  If you are waiting for me to say how embarrassed I was again, this time I was not.  I am not easily thrown off my game and wasn't this time either.  It may have been because Beth and I had just watched the movie Babies Sunday evening and had gotten rather used to seeing the woman from Namibia keep the milk bags free the whole movie, but is also just because this act is a natural thing and not sexual in any way.

That being said, isn't it strange how a woman nursing with a breast hanging out is not sexual, but a nipple slip from Brittany Spears is broadcast all over You Tube?  Interesting.

I walked away from this guest and did not ask her to put lunch away, or step off the floor, or cover anything up.  However, I wondered if I was going to get a guest complaint at some point.  Not everyone takes to open displays of nutrition.  What if somebody suddenly thought we had opened a different sort of lemonade stand and there became a line?  What would my decision be?

Fortunately, it never came to be.  Either lunch was wrapped up or I am the only one walking around the store looking at women's breasts.  Hi Beth.

I think I would have explained to any complainant that it was her right to do this and perhaps have offered the woman a more private location.  I am not certain what I would have done since this situation does not come up in any training manuals.

How about you?  Would you have been offended?  On what grounds?  I need some research for next time.