Print edition: 
The woman balked at the door of a local department store and told her companion — maybe a friend, perhaps her daughter — that she just couldn't go in.
"I don't want to," she said. "I'll just wait. I can never find anything in all that stuff."
By all that stuff, she meant everything for sale inside that store. Her companion urged her on, saying the store wasn't very crowded and they could take their time shopping. But the hesitant woman won in the end, and I heard her say the word "overwhelming" as the two departed.
Those of us who have shopped despite our blood sugar levels falling dangerously low and our feet killing us don't understand those who are fearful of entering a store.
They are the ones who would rather plow the south 40 with their chin than go into a huge store and try to find something they want or need. But once I entered that department store last week, I had a better understanding of the woman who retreated.
I needed just two items: a watch for my mother and a pair of pantyhose. The watch I found in a matter of minutes. But the hosiery gave me fits. I haven't bought hosiery in a long time, and after nearly 20 frustrating minutes of searching, I realized I needed some assistance.
Service, people! A little help here, please!
Alas, it was not to be found.
My longtime friend Garry Beard owned a filling station and he once told me, "You can buy gas lots of places, but you can't get service like this anywhere else. That's what I'm selling, service."
And that's why his station was always full of cars.
Back in the hosiery department, I finally found the color I wanted among the samples, but I didn't have my reading glasses so I couldn't see the tiny print on the packages to find that color and my size. I couldn't find a clerk anywhere, but when I finally tracked one down, she said she didn't work in that department. Then she was off to her department, even though there was not another customer in sight.
We're blessed with great retail shops in Wichita, but for those who aren't familiar with the stores and need help, sometimes it can be disappointing and frustrating to shop in them.
I left the department store without buying the hosiery I needed, but tried another store to see if I could do any better. A sales associate there not only provided the help I needed, but also smiled and told me it was a pleasure to help me.
Before anyone accuses me of being overly critical, let me say that I worked in a retail store in college and I know how difficult it can be. That's why, even today, I never leave a dressing room a mess. Once you've done a job, you have an appreciation for those who do it well.
I thought about this as I drove away from the department store. What would it have taken for that hesitant woman to enter the store and had a successful shopping experience?
Maybe a helpful salesperson who smiled and said it was a pleasure to wait on her.
Couldn't hurt.
