Target Manager attempts to upstage Cashier fails and teaches us a lesson

Reading good news these days, seems so very few and far between but every once in a while you hear about a story that does more pulling on your heart strings than most and makes you wish to share this saga of good will.  This is the feeling behind the article titled “Target Employee's Act of Kindness Has Shoppers Everywhere Singing His Praises” posted by Inside Edition on Monday January 18, 2016.  The only thing that made me shake my head was the words used by the manager of this particular Target Store in describing he may not have ever really known.

The article details the story of a Ms. Sarah Owen Bigler who witnessed this miracle and her education both about herself, the cashier and most importantly her daughter.  The article reports that; “A cashier at an Indianapolis Target store is making headlines for the respectful way he handled an elderly customer who was paying with coins and for the profound effect his kindness had on the shoppers who saw it.  In fact, a photo of the young employee, named Ishmael, was posted to Facebook by the impressed shopper in line behind the elderly woman and it has since been shared tens of thousands of times.  "I watched the young employee with this woman. I watched him help her count her change, ever so tenderly taking it from her shaking hands. I listened to him repeatedly saying "yes, mam" to her," wrote the shopper, Sarah Owen Bigler. "Never once did this employee huff, gruff or roll his eyes. He was nothing but patient and kind."  While it may seem to some like Ishmael was just doing his job, Bigler's daughter's reaction to his gentle act makes it seem much bigger.  "She was standing next to the woman, watching the employee count the change. I realized I hadn't been inconvenienced at all," Bigler wrote. "My daughter was instead witnessing kindness and patience and being taught this valuable lesson by a complete stranger."  Store manager Todd Davis is nearly a stranger to Ishmael himself. The cashier had only worked at the Glendale Target a week when he was caught in the act of kindness, but Davis told INSIDE EDITION it's a trait he looks for in all his employees.  "Obviously we're proud of the way he handled this situation," Davis said, not least of all because Ishmael handled it in a way that "made sure [the customer] felt good."  "It's clear he was brought up in a way that respect was held in the utmost importance," Davis said.  And thanks to that upbringing, Ishmael is now fielding interviews from reporters in Indiana and across America.  While Davis said Ishmael has been "thrilled to death" and "overwhelmed" by all the attention, he was most excited to tell one woman in particular about his viral fame.  "He was proud to tell his mom about why exactly he was receiving all this recognition," Davis said.

What bothered me most about this article was the attempt at upstaging the cashier by the store manager Mr. Todd Davis who is quoted as saying “it's a trait he looks for in all his employees” which anyone who has ever applied for a job would know is utter nonsense since that trait is not something you will learn in any school or in any life experience except from the proper raising of a child to respect all people whether they look like, act like, dress like or even think like you or not.  Mr. Davis darken an opportunity to promote this cashier and therefore promote the store he was placed in charge of by trying to make it all seem more about him.  Not sure why INSIDE EDITION did not interview Ms. Bigler, the old lady, the cashier, his mother or even the little girl since they were actually there and experience this first-hand instead of a scene stealing manager who felt it necessary to throw himself into the story.

Either way, this is a lesson for all of us.  Kindness is much more than just a trait, it is the object of all who feels.  No one likes to be treated in no other way than with a little kindness and because you do not know who you may affect in the way you treat others, it is of the utmost importance that we strive to show kindness each and every time we deal with another person, whether it is family friends or strangers.  That little girl left that store having seen a miracle because after hearing and seeing nothing else but the bad things promoted all over our news and televisions, the act of this cashier can be nothing more than a miracle for a little child who is still learning about whom she wishes to be.  It taught us about Ms. Bigler, a lady who used the actions of that cashier to determine her reaction to the old lady and when she did not see him getting frustrated with her, she then decided that she would not show or feel inconvenienced.  In the years to come, all those first-hand witnesses to this will use this moment over and over again and all those who read about this will remember this story for years to come.  We will use it in conversation as a point of reference of just how kind people can be and that little girl will look at people and life in a much clearer light than if of her peers who was not blessed to witness what she did.  Be careful what you do because strangers will use how you treat others as an indication of how they think you wish to be treated so if you want kindness, you must first be willing to show kindness besides you never know who may be watching.  It may be a little child who is learning how to treat people by watching you, a total stranger or it could be just simply a camera.