Tyrades!

One of the most awkward, self-conscious incidents in my life occurred when I was shopping with a group, and one of my companions blithely continued browsing long after the store doors were locked.

I have done assembly-line work, junkyard work and freelance writing; but I have also punched enough cash-register keys and worked around enough clerks-slash-sales-associates to know that the retail life isn’t all skittles and beer. (Okay, maybe there IS a lot of Skittles and beer, in the sense of “Cleanup on aisle 9 of all the Skittles and beer someone upchucked.”)

Life is messy and legitimate sob st...