Monthly Musing – April 2022 – Where everybody knows your name

I went to my local yarn shop yesterday.

Nothing unusual in that, you might think, and indeed there wasn’t.  I went in, was greeted by the staff and looked around for what I wanted to buy.  It was all absolutely as it should be.

Greeted by the staff.

Isn’t it lovely to go somewhere and be recognised as a returning visitor?  It’s nice enough when someone welcomes you to their shop the first time you visit, but being remembered makes us all feel special.  It’s not just in yarn shops either; I often see people being recognised in places that I go to – the Post Office, petrol stations, even in supermarkets, and it makes me happy to hear conversations in shops again after so long without them.  It was difficult to recognise people with masks on but now that we don’t wear them as much, I think that making the effort to greet people as you see them and especially if you’ve seen them before, whether you’re staff or a customer, goes a long way.

We’re all still recovering from the lockdowns in more ways than recovering from having Covid – not everybody did catch the virus but we were all affected and it was difficult to make sure that we were able to follow the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

Now that I can get out and about again for the most part without restriction, I try to make sure that I am following the Five Ways – Connect, Be active, Take notice, Learn and Give – whenever I can.  I am making sure that I smile and say hello to people that I meet on my walks with the dog.  I am looking at what’s around me – taking photos for the blog is a great way to make sure that I am taking notice! – and I’m always on the lookout to discover something new to learn or to add to the blog to share with other people.  We may have got out of the habit of connecting with others during the lockdowns and it can feel difficult to get back into it again, but I think it’s important that we do.  We’re all somewhere on the scale of introvert to extrovert – sometimes changing from day to day or even hour to hour – but there will always be something that we can do to help ourselves connect to others in a way that works for us – and really works for us, keeping us healthy both in body and mind.

You may not be surprised to know that I left the yarn shop with an armful of treats (it’s the Winwick Mum Sockalong’s 7th birthday next week, there’s going to be a giveaway … 🙂 ) and happy from chatting to Sara (Black Sheep Wool‘s Director) about yarn, proms and daughters (we have girls of the same age).  I went back to my car with a spring in my step and a smile on my face, and all from walking into a yarn shop where people said hello as I went in.  It doesn’t take much, does it, but the effect is enormous.

 

 

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11 Responses

  1. Jennifer says:

    My husband said it’s a good thing we don’t live there lol. Barely have enough room for my current yarn stash. By the way thank you for the information about the cable sock placement of the cables. Still a wip but hope to finish it up soon.

  2. Wendy says:

    So true and so good to be out and about again carefully Christine 🙋‍♀️😀

    • winwickmum says:

      It makes you realise how much we’ve missed it, doesn’t it – and how much we appreciate being recognised when we’re out too! 🙂 xx

  3. Ruth says:

    This makes me want to go mooching yet I have more than enough to be stitching, knitting and crocheting.

  4. Bridget says:

    Yes the good factor feeling seems to be coming back regards getting out and about. The Spring seems to perk us up. Love to getout in the garden. I wish we had a nice shop like that here in Norfolk. Many years ago I use to work in one, I was like a child in a sweet shop even back then. I have rely on buying on line now. Not quite the same. Happy May Day Everybody x

    • winwickmum says:

      Ah, so many yarn shops have closed down, it’s such a shame, isn’t it? I’m glad the weather’s good enough for you to get out this weekend! 🙂 xx

  5. Corinne says:

    It doesn’t take much to make us smile. I try to be kind to shop assistants because I was one for 15 years! I came to know quite a few regulars and it was nice to catch up with them each time I saw them.
    I have a mug with the inscription, ‘Enjoy the simple things’, in case I ever forget.😉

    • winwickmum says:

      I think everybody should have to do a customer-facing job at some point in their lives – it might make some people a bit more polite! Your mug sounds perfect, and very wise words! xx

  6. I went to a yarn shop on Saturday, it was their 11th birthday. Cup of tea and cake and of course I bought a pattern book and needle wooden size guage. I took my husband and dog so couldn’t stop long, but it doesn’t take long to spend £20 ha ha does it x

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