Article July 15, 1985 Issue

A spiritual reason for expecting good in others

FREDA W. BIRCH

A young man walked into a gift shop, wishing to buy his mother a piece of china to add to her collection. As he approached the case in which the china was displayed, he was met by a somewhat nervous assistant. He explained what he wanted but, not seeing it, he inquired if there was any in stock. Very reluctantly the assistant left him, and on the way to the stockroom she spoke to another assistant, looking toward the young man. He eventually made his purchase and left the shop.

Speaking of this experience later, the young man said that he would never go into that shop again. He had never felt so uncomfortable in his life. "It was as if the assistant expected me to steal something," he said.

Why had the assistant reacted in this way? The young man was dressed in the fashion of the day, and his hair was long. Obviously the assistant had expected trouble merely because of the man's outward appearance. And although discretion is needed by shopkeepers in meeting the threat of vandalism and shoplifting, in this case the assistant was completely wrong in her assessment.

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