A person who walks into any Walmart across the country can count on being greeted by a smiling, friendly face at the front door thanks to a several decade old company policy.
The megastore implemented the "greeter" position in the 1980s after one of their establishments suffered several bouts of theft. By assigning a cheerful person to stand by the entrance, the retailer not only starts shoppers' trips off on a happy note, but has someone at the door checking people's receipts when need be on their way out.
Over the years, it has become one of the most well-known aspects of the chain's shopping experience.
Of course, as we have all experienced at one time or another, it can get pretty hectic when the store is extra-crowded, and it's inevitable that tensions rise among shoppers as they attempt to check off their to-do lists.
That's what makes experiences like the one recently shared by an Arkansas mother so inspiring.
Springdale, AR, resident Randi Roper Perkins explains in her Facebook post from September 2, 2016, that she was simply running her usual errands that day, likely in a rush to finish up and head home to her family.
The first thing she noticed upon entering was the absence of one of the store's regular greeters, an elderly man the town affectionately refers to as Mr. Billie.
She then explains how she found him sitting on a stool in the back of the store near the electronics section.
"I just happened to be waiting in line, mindlessly on my phone of course," Perkins explains.
That's when Mr. Billie gestured her to come over, handing her a sticker and singing a little song as he often does for customers.
He then began to strike up a conversation with her, and though she was at first worried about losing her spot in line, she couldn't be more glad she stopped to really learn more about this beloved veteran. She shared:
"I learned that Mr. Billie is an 85 year old man, who is married and both he and his wife work… I learned that he served our country in the Air Force for 8+ years, and he can tell you how many months and days. I learned he was the only one of 15 children to graduate from high school, not because he was smart but because he was lucky… I learned that Mr Billie was in Alaska when it became a state and he remembers the flag being raised for the first time at the fort he was stationed."
Perkins continues to explain how Mr. Billie would salute every fellow veteran who passed them by and how he remembers, "sitting around the fireplace with his parents and siblings and them sharing stories of their lives," something she admits few of us do anymore.
Before she even realized it, she had spent 30 minutes swapping stories with him!
After sharing the details of the interaction with her family and friends online, Perkins received several comments from others in the neighborhood who showed their appreciation for the kind gentleman.
Perkins gives all the credit to Mr. Billie for his incredible stories and hopes that sharing her experience will help others slow down and embrace more priceless moments like this in their lives rather than spend all their time with their eyes glued to TVs and phones.
I have to say, that's definitely something I need to be reminded of now and then!
Be sure to SHARE this sweet pair's story with your loved ones to spread their amazing message.
