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It was a day of rest, and I was sufficiently irritable, topping off my mother's vehicle. This was a typical gas station that doubles as a supermarket, so you run the risk of ending up in line shoppers with carts of slightly overpriced groceries. This is a dreadful thing to unfold when your only desire is to complete a simple refueling. Terrible.

My position was fourth in the queue. A single person serving, a young woman. A peculiar quality to her presence. When the faffer at the head of the line had completed payment for a cleaning product, his sausage roll, and his box of eggs, I could have sworn that I heard the cashier wish him a wonderful day. Unusual. Perhaps I’d misheard, or maybe she did say it and was being sarcastic. I wondered if she might actually be a comrade in my fight against faff, sharing my contempt for individuals slowing down straightforward customers like me.

Taking a step forward, becoming the third customer. The person ahead of the queue discharged her fuel-only transaction with impressive quickness. Again, the phrase came: “I hope you have a fantastic day.” No, actually, it was “have a wonderful day”. A stateside native? In Stourbridge? She had the accent, and few locals says to others such a cheerful phrase, or even just a nice day. Quite out of place. Rarely does one encounter people from America visiting this town, and definitely not employed at gas stations or anywhere else.

I was second now. After an elderly lady dealing with a protracted effort with her shopping cart, her purchases, her handbag and her membership pass. This took an eternity. After she finished, she too was wished a wonderful day. Definitely from the US. Confirming it was possible by saying something hilarious in her direction, to check for that response as they gaze at you, without a smile, and reply with genuine earnest: “That’s really funny.” But I couldn’t think of a jest to express.

Ultimately, I accepted the heartfelt tone – or an impersonation of it, which amounts to the same thing – while she stared directly into my eyes, to my very core, and bid me an awesome day. My spirits lifted. Beneficial indeed.