At the local store last year, I saw the cashier was having technical difficulties with my sale so, being a good citizen, I turned to apologize to the old guy behind me.
The old guy visibly freaked, picked up his three goods off the belt and flustered scurried off to another cashier.
What shocked me though is that upon his exit, he angrily told the next customer to go and use another cashier as I was paying with bitcoin.
I was speechless, I've never worn any Bitcoin apparel, no-one outside of my family know that I'm a bitcoiner (and they keep schtum) so this I was visibly shocked - so shocked that the cashier apologized for the guy's conduct. In a bit of a daze, briefly looking back at the guy at the other till, my family and I took my food and went back home.
I can only guess that the guy had some mental health issues. I've known some people with mental health and drug problems and that some of them have an uncanny knack of having uncomfortably clear insight into others. So, I really shouldn't have been too shocked by this - but no, I was really floored by this...
At home that night I got some clarity and learned from the experience. If this old guy's consciousness had been touched Bitcoin (however negative) it meant that it wouldn't be long before the general public as a whole would have heard about it.
Within hours, I'd decided to buy far more sats than usual that night.
I can't complain, as it happened during last year's dip.
Problems always happen. There are people who understand this and don't despair, and others who get pissed off like this guy. The good part is that if the problem was due to you paying in bitcoin, maybe it will be solved in the coming months with the improvement of the infrastructure and the cashier's understanding of how to make the payment. Even better, this guy will probably be the last to adopt bitcoin. We don't need everyone to adopt, just as we don't need to wake up all the sheep, only those who are ready.
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Funny thing - the young cashier really took it in his stride. This suggested to me that he recognized the folly of the old guy - and might have been clued-in to Bitcoin. He didn't seem at all confused.
I doubt the senior will be around to see adoption in his lifetime - I'm fairly old (a Gen Xer) but he was a really, really old...
But, stranger things can happen. I'd love if our paths did cross again - with me paying via Lightning and him with his jaw dropping as I go on my way...
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thathappened.jpg
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Yep, it did!
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Can't wait to remind my son about it when I hand over the keys!
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