Option 2

The cashiers face flushed to bright red as the old man pummeled her with insults and insinuations, all in broken English. The man looked around 65, with crinkly skin that reminded me of someone who has stayed in the pool for too long, and messy hair that parted every which way. His yellow teeth shone in the artificial light as spit rocketed out of his mouth like a missile every time he spoke. The cashier, in turn, was a young girl of maybe 17 with bright red hair and pale skin, which only made it more obvious as she became embarrassed. From what I could understand from the man's rough voice as he yelled in broken English was that the cashier had simply forgotten to give the man a discount he deserved, and he did not take to that kindly. The man's accent was very rough and heavy, and it sounded like he was from an eastern European country, although I am no linguist by any means. As the cashier tried to spar verbally with the man and counter his accusations, I realized how this situation is one that occurs all too much in our country. The foreigner feels as if he is being treated wrongly, most likely because in his country this act would be considered rude or bigoted, and the shy worker is forced to undergo a rapid assault on their personality and lifestyle from insults by a person they do not even know. This situation makes me think of how a little communication and understanding could solve a lot of our problems in life. Sometimes we just need to take a step back, take a deep breath, calm the nerves, and try to understand each other for once instead of pulling away. Little by little, we can eliminate situations like this, and help improve society for everyone.