A Beeline for My Happy Place

A Little Solace in the FiDi.

Mama said there would be days like these, so what’s a girl to do?  Apparently, she goes to buy make-up.  In a million years, I would never have thought to communicate in psycho-babble with regularity, but, well, I went to my “happy place.”  That would be the CVS store on California and Sansome, across from the Union Bank building where I previously worked last year.  It was rather convenient, being placed at that particular job because a few of my friends, even my sister-in-law, worked in the same building.  There were some fun times since retrieving booze and beverages from the store for company functions was a task that invited a little envy when bumping into friends, visitors and other occupants alike.

This time I was looking for mineral foundation, and I went to the cosmetics section to try and figure out a new product that would match my skin tone.  I fumbled for a time, tipping and inverting round containers to get a sense of how it might look on my face.  Then, “Ann” came to my rescue.  The CVS sales clerk saw I was having trouble and gave me the kind of customer service I would expect from any retailer worth its weight in gold.  She even removed the packaging and applied some of the make-up on my face to make sure it was the closest match.  Apparently, CVS has a “beauty guarantee” that if the product doesn’t work out, it could be returned regardless of the condition.  I left more than satisfied with my purchase, and I personally gave Ann a ringing endorsement for her helpfulness.

As the week would compel me, I made the same route, turning on California toward Sansome, eyeing the top of the Union Bank building on my left, back to the store.  The following day, I returned with my $4.50 rewards dollars on my CVS card for a pressed powder foundation and Ann’s sage advice.  I asked her what made her so good at her job, and she said passion for products manufactured with a genuine regard for improving lives, not just for expediency and cost-effectiveness.  It’s also her positive attitude that I gravitate toward, and as I manage the challenges of each day, I make no apologies for retreating to my happy place.