Self Service

What a world we live in with all the self service and semi self service available to us. Just in the last generation or two we have gone from no self service to a world where you can almost live on self service. I remember when the first ATM was available in Montgomery, Alabama and how unsafe everyone thought it was. People would never use it, and if so only in emergencies, because it did come in handy when you didn't have enough money on the weekend since all banks were closed (as were the grocery stores on Sundays in Alabama). But little by little……And self service gas stations. I remember hearing grown-ups discussing them and how they would never work. Who would wash your windows, check your oil, take your money….would people get out of their car and do it all themselves just to pay 29 cents for ethyl instead of 32 cents? And the list goes on and on.
And then there is the semi self service. All the places that are set up were you can go in, shop, browse, try things on, and see how much things cost, even check out without ever saying a word or speaking to anyone. All the items are marked with a price, all the merchandise is on the floor, and there are no, or almost no sales clerks bothering you. You can even listen to a few songs on the CD without opening the case just to see if you like them. Or play some of the video games before you buy them. Or better yet you can shop and order things on line and not even see another person. How awful!!! Unless of course you are one of the 25% of the worlds introverts. (They must have invented all of this self service stuff.) Then this is kind of neat since there is nothing to force you out of your comfort zone.
Except, that is, a new country and culture. Maybe even a culture that has very little self service and still believes in the face to face buying process. A culture where a lot of the small grocery stores are still arranged where you have to browse and then tell the cashier what you want, how many you want, how much they are, pay for everything, and THEN go back to the counter and get the clerk to give you what you have paid for. Most clothes are sold in stores where the prices are not clearly marked. The chances of you browsing for clothes, trying them on, checking the price, and then buying them with speaking a word……..well it isn't going to happen. Self service kiosks, paying for gas at the pump, using a credit or debit card at McDonald's or the movie theater are not widespread if they exist at all. All of which is pretty neat when you think about it as a lot of our advances are not really advances at all. But………… if you are one of those 25%.
I have been going through a bit of a culture shock in the last week or so. There is so much new information, new customs, new language, new climate etc. that sometimes I get a bit on edge. Not really homesick for the states but just wanting to know all the information, wanting to relax and not have to watch every step, wanting to order dinner without really concentrating, really wanting to go a few days, or even a few hours with my life on cruise control. Maybe even watch a TV show or a movie without having to really concentrate.
Then I realized last night that a lot of my difficulty in these moments is not caused by being in a different culture (well not completely). A lot of my difficulty is going from a self service culture, of which this introvert took full advantage of, to a culture that is more people to people. And since I have realized it I feel a lot better. It will not help me when it is time to buy a shirt and I want to do so without talking to anyone, but…self-realization is great therapy.
I have always been intrigued by different things, different ways of thinking, and different ways of doing things. What a lucky guy I am to be surrounded by so many different things. It is almost like a kid waking up on Christmas morning and someone made him president of Toys-R-Us. But just like this happy kid, sometimes it is overwhelming to have so many new things.