Ordinary People Working in Extraordinary Times
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By Carina Elgin
hey aren’t doctors or nurses or EMTs or firemen or policemen. They are, in fact, “ordinary” people in extraordinary times. For example, take the employees at Middleburg’s state-run ABC liquor store on Washington Street. Though rules prohibit them from speaking to the media without authorization, this is a business that was deemed “essential” during these troubled times by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. Clearly, all precautions are in place, including plexiglass barriers between customers and employees, and reminders to stay six feet apart. Most customers wear masks. The employees certainly do, and curb-side deliveries will soon be available, if ordered and paid for on-line. Meanwhile, sociallydistanced shopping is allowed. Between the friendly, masked clerks and two chatty masked and distanced customers, it’s obvious that the store manager and his employees know their regulars, and enjoy having the “small town relationships.” They indicated they’ve been seeing a lot more of those regulars over the last two months, and also have served more out-of-town shoppers than usual. After all, people needed to get out of their homes, and a run to Middleburg for adult beverages seemed like a nice little trip. While out and abut, perhaps they could also stop down the street at Scruffy’s for ice cream at the shop’s special service window. While many local food and drink-oriented locations offering “grab-and-go” service these days report
precipitous drops in their businesses, the ABC folks reported that sales have actually been way up lately, with vodka far outselling all other products. Usually, they explained, vodka and bourbon sales are generally about equal in Middleburg, taking turns as best-sellers. One woman from Pennsylvania, where liquor stores are currently closed, bought six half-gallons of vodka, toting her box out with a battle cry of “Momma needs her vodka!” When making a purchase, the cashier never touches the bottle and asks customers to bag their own purchases. They also don’t handle credit cards inserted into their machines, nor is there hand contact for a receipt. Over at the Middleburg post office, there are
similar precautions. The counter now has professionally installed plexiglass barriers in place, replacing plastic sheeting that had temporarily been installed. All the clerks wear masks, same for their postal patrons. One customer on a recent visit did not. He threw two envelopes down on the counter, and the clerk politely asked if he had licked them to seal them. Informed that he had, he was asked to re-seal them with scotch tape on the counter. Earlier in the day, a customer kept getting too close to others in line, and the clerk repeatedly asked her to socially distance herself to six feet. She finally complied, but not without some snark: “So now I’m on the X, okay?” When the clerk thanked her and told her she hadn’t been, the woman apparently turned around and stomped out in a huff. Middleburg post office employees do this all day. They explain why they can’t handle licked envelopes, why waiting patrons must be socially distanced, why there’s no need to speak into the space between the plexiglass to communicate. Packages also are coming in as if it’s the Christmas season. There’s a lot of on-line, at-home shopping these days. One clerk admitted obvious concerns about safety, adding, “But this is my job.” In general, all around the Middleburg area people have been truly considerate of one another, and everyone has been deeply affected during these turbulent times. These days, “ extra ordinary people” are everywhere, trying do the most important job of all—staying safe and healthy.
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The Hill School - Junior Kingdergarten to 8 th Grade - Middleburg, VA | TheHillSchool.org Country ZEST & Style | Summer 2020
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