His name was Donovan
By AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
United States
February 13, 2020 1:54pm CST
Back when I was working as a cashier and stock clerk, there'd be a lull between 11 and when the store closed at midnight. We'd occasionally get a few regulars, and Donovan was one of them. He didn't come in every week, but it was always a Wednesday when he did. He always came for the same things, a newspaper (if there were any left), a big bottle of water, and one of those horrible microwave dinners from the deli.
I always told him those things were not worth the price, but he just laughed and said they'd do in a pinch. He'd come in and we'd end up talking for 20 or 30 minutes after I rang him up. He was fun to talk to, and I honestly think he was a bit lonely. He was a bit of an open book though, and maybe I'll tell you some of the stories he told me, albeit with some things left out...
Have you ever worked a later shift?
Have you ever met anyone like this? (lonely, but funny, and kind-hearted?)
8 people like this
9 responses
@Courtlynn (67089)
• United States
14 Feb 20
I've met many people like that. Alot of them, in my family even.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
14 Feb 20
My family is mostly quiet... Or those I associate with.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
15 Feb 20
@Courtlynn I mean, it depends on where we are... I have little second cousins, so if I go to my aunts quiet just isn't going to happen.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (67089)
• United States
15 Feb 20
@ScribbledAdNauseum quiet doesn't really exist in my family
1 person likes this
@besweet (9831)
• Ireland
13 Feb 20
It must be interesting to meet different people every day in your work, I am wondering how easy it is to remember their names. I 'm interacting with the same people every day in the office, sometimes they have interesting stories but usually it's routine talks.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Feb 20
I don't actually work there anymore, and I can't remember all their names either. Some of them I remember more than others.
1 person likes this
@besweet (9831)
• Ireland
13 Feb 20
@ScribbledAdNauseum I find it very hard to remember names. When I started in my new work, I was taking notes on my notepad with the names of all the people and where their office was in order to remember.
I tried to make all the notes in Greek so they wouldn't understand and possibly feel offended when I was going through my notes for their name. 
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Feb 20
@besweet Oh I see. I know I would not be offended, I'd feel flattered that you wrote my name down in a notebook so you didn't forget it.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (74988)
• United States
13 Feb 20
I would not want to work that late. Do tell us some good stories you recall though it would be a good read.
@shaggin (74988)
• United States
13 Feb 20
@ScribbledAdNauseum A friend of mine just started working 7-7. Two days on then two days off. It sounds awful to me
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Feb 20
@shaggin Yeah, it sounds awful to me too!
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Feb 20
I used to work from 6 pm until 6 am, sometimes 7 or 8 am if they needed me to. I only did that twice a week. Then i went to doing 11 to 7, and then 7 to 7. I am glad I don't have to worry about any of that anymore.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
16 Feb 20
Yes, there are lots of lonely people in this world of ours.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
17 Feb 20
@simone10 Or no family that visited them?
My ex's great grandmother was put in a home after she had fluid in her lungs and was put on a blood thinner. We would go see her weekly.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54180)
• Louisville, Kentucky
16 Feb 20
@ScribbledAdNauseum a lot of them were elderly and probably didn't have any family.
@DesirousDreamer (34776)
• Peoria, Arizona
13 Feb 20
I didn't work anyone long enough to notice any regulars, but even in my store amount of time of working I met some very interesting people.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Feb 20
I preferred working third shift becuase all I had to worry about was my co-workers, but I did have some good customers when I was working as a cashier. Even so, I'm glad I don't work outside the house anymore.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
18 Feb 20
@DesirousDreamer I've worked all shifts at one time. I think overall third was probably my favorite, but it also meant that I didn't get a lot of time in the sun and that began to take it's toll on me.
@DesirousDreamer (34776)
• Peoria, Arizona
18 Feb 20
@ScribbledAdNauseum I only worked evenings and I liked working on Saturdays because all sorts of interesting people would come in because they used to hold car shows in that parking lot.
@LindaOHio (222285)
• United States
13 Feb 20
I've never worked a late shift. I have run into some older women that were lonely and just wanted to talk.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Feb 20
I try to oblige people like that, though I'm really socially awkward and prefer not to do much socializing otherwise.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222285)
• United States
13 Feb 20
@ScribbledAdNauseum I'm uncomfortable around people that force themselves on you and that you can't get away from.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Feb 20
@LindaOHio Oh yes, I definitely do not like those types. I try to show with my body language and tone that I want them to get away from me! Most people, however, are good, and I firmly believe that.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91299)
• United States
16 Feb 20
Yes but I mostly did factory or hairdressing so I always heard stories.
I love that name Donovan
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
17 Feb 20
I do too! It can be shortened in two different ways too. Donny or Van. Donny makes me think of the Osmond's.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Feb 20
He was a lot of fun to talk to, made the hour go by.
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (68246)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
13 Feb 20
I had a couple customers like that at Dollar Tree, who will still say hi to me if they see me out in town. There were some at BK too, one of them owns a local pizzaria. We actually went and had lunch there a couple months ago, and his first response was "It took you forever to come eat here."
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Feb 20
I had a few who would give me things like coupons to pizza places, free candy bars (when they had to buy something becuase their total was in the negative) etc.
1 person likes this
