The store officially closed on Sunday and things have ramped up around there lately. After the post-Christmas lull, a good closing sale kept the customers coming in, the registers humming and the employees hustling.
Especially in the last week I think we’ve cleaned out dressing rooms and hung up the same clothes a few thousand times.
The perks of being a shopgirl.
For those of us leaving it has been a bittersweet week, although, the same could probably be said for those who are staying. Because of yet another Kansas City snowstorm I could have taken Sunday off, but I wanted to be with my work peeps one more time in that beautiful old building.
Lest you think that being a shopgirl is for the simple minded you should know that besides being incredibly stylish my coworkers love music, food, coffee, books, tango, yoga and gardening. They are educated, kind, hard-working, opinionated and fun. Outside of this work they are a retired principal, a current principal, a librarian, an artist, a mentor to education majors for the local college, in training to be a docent for the art museum, a former long-time resident of New York City, a shopgirl in an independent bookstore, a real estate agent, a dancer and a writer. They are older than me and younger than me, but age never seemed to be a barrier to bonding with all of them.
Even when I was worn out and had little in my reserve tank for another day on my feet, I always looked forward to seeing these woman. Like the antique dealer upstairs and the people who work the carryout counter of the barbeque restaurant next door, they welcomed me into their family every day and………….
……..I will miss them. Dearly.