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The Middle of the Road: By Randy Peters, a middle-aged, middle-income, middle-school teacher They say it takes a village. I must admit I think 'they' are usually right. A group of people can bring new ideas or solutions to old problems. A committee can make light work of complex tasks. I was reminded this month, however, that it takes some remarkable individuals to make the village look good. A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I were sitting around on a Sunday evening lamenting the return to work on Monday morning. We thought that cake would make the evening seem more festive. Now we both know that getting a cake and having it in the house for the week would only bring on carb loading that neither one of us wanted to face. So while I went out to get gas in the car, I decided to stop at Vons to see if their bakery had two individual cupcakes that we could have that night without threat of extra calories all week. I must admit that I don't always shop at Vons since we live so much closer to Stater Bros. But I went into Vons and went straight back to the bakery. There were two delightful cupcakes in the case begging to go home with me. I looked around and noticed the lights were off in the back part of the bakery. I did the walk we all do when we want someone to notice us, come out from behind the counter, and help us. You recognize the walk: You stroll back and forth straining your neck to see if anyone is back there. You sniffle or cough depending on what has worked for you in the past. You innocently shake your keys. You look for the customer bell that you didn't see the last three times you checked. And then you look around behind you to see if anyone else is also waiting. (Perhaps if a mob developed, someone would come out faster and get you your cupcakes.) I followed protocol and did these things. Eventually a courtesy clerk named Michelle came up. "Did you know the bakery is closed?" she asked. "No, I didn't." I replied. "There is no sign and the display case is lit up." "They closed about 15 minutes ago," she explained. I felt the blood rushing to my face as I kept telling myself that it wasn't Michelle's fault the bakery department didn't want my business. I couldn't let it go. "Oh yeah," I said without obvious maturity. "Well, they left a big mess on the floor back there. Besides I don't need them to make anything. I just want the two cupcakes in the case." "I don't think I'm allowed to go back there," she told me. "Well, can I?" I asked her. That's when I noticed she had things in her hand as if she were just going on or returning from a break. "Let me call a manager," she said. I heard her explain to a manager that I was there and just wanted two cupcakes from the display. She hung up and sounding surprised told me that the manager told her she could get them. Michelle went back and found gloves and only one plastic cupcake case. The poor girl went through every cabinet she had access to looking for more cupcake cases. No luck. She called the management again who was apparently too busy to help her. She looked again and explained that she found cardboard boxes but was afraid they would smash the chosen baked goods. She turned to me and asked what I wanted her to do. I suggested she pack up one of the cupcakes and my wife and I would just split it when I got home. She looked so relieved. She packed it carefully and securely. She apologized for my inconvenience and asked if there was something else she could do to make up for it. When I went through the check-out, Michelle was there to pack up my items. The lady at the register asked if I found everything alright. I told her my plight — how I found everything, but just wasn't allowed to get them. She asked if I wanted to talk with management. I looked at Michelle and said, "No, thank you. As long as you have employees like Michelle around, there probably isn't anything else anyone could do." As I went to my car and drove home, I started thinking about how great it is to have individuals like Michelle in Yucaipa village. She showed respect to me, to her manager, and her job. She was determined to make the best of the situation for a stranger. I just may shop at Vons more often — but not after 8 on a Sunday! Keep your eyes on the road. Mission Impossible: A Quest for Cupcakes OUR YUCAIPA | MARCH 2015 19

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