I've been a working girl since I was 16. I've been in retail for three years now--and let me tell you, it is nothing short of havoc and hell. Every day, I'm forced into a different uncomfortable situation with customers who have no respect for retail workers, or anybody for that matter. Don't get me wrong--some people are so sweet to me it truly restores my faith in humanity, but not everyone can be that perfect and kind.

I'm a nice person for the most part. I go out of my way to help customers. Even when I'm irritated, I stay composed. I can handle a rude customer, no biggie. But yesterday...God tested my patience. I now know I have mastered the art of biting one's tongue.

I try to talk to and offer help to every customer that I come across while working. It goes something like, "Hi, can I help you find something today?" and the responses usually range from "I'm great," to silent stares.

Yesterday was like no other. I pitched my usual line to a sweet and innocent looking elderly couple who walked by. The woman had that "can I speak to the manager" haircut--you know what I'm talking about. She stuck her chin in the air and sashayed away with her cart like she was the queen of all shopping carts. Her husband detoured and decided he was going to keep me company beside the digital camera display where I was working. He doesn't give me any greeting. No head nod. No soft smile. He skipped straight to the interrogation/lecture.

Things got real weird, real fast. He asked if I took pictures with a camera (no), asked if I had a boyfriend (no), and told me it's weird that I didn't have a boyfriend (bye).

"You should getcha self a boyfriend and go take pictures of him. Like a normal gal."

He continued to hammer me with questions, and eventually asked me what I was studying in college. Being the type of person who was always extremely excited about their major and career aspirations, I gladly ignored his invasive questioning and told him I was studying public health and business administration.

"What the hell do you think you can do with that? You're not gonna go into nursing first?"

I explained to this stranger that I was interested in healthcare administration--not sticking people with needles or mending broken bones (no offense to nurses or doctors, you guys rock, I just can't handle bodily fluids or stare at a bone sticking out at an inhuman angle without passing out).

This old man then told me that I would not be successful, or respected, in that career field. His reasoning? I would not have a medical background as a nurse or doctor, so logically nobody in the medical field would show any respect and I wouldn't make it further than a secretary in a dentist's office. Made sense (not). I just looked at this guy. I was speechless. It blew my mind that he had the audacity to say that to my face. My tongue was bleeding by the time his pretentious cart queen rallied him back in.

This man was no less than 75 years old. I didn't realize that once you've reached the three-quarters mark in your lifetime you suddenly knew everything about everything and could see the future through your cataract ridden eyes. My bad for assuming (you know what they say about that), but I really thought he was more likely to lose pieces of his mind rather than gain insight to my future. But hey, what do I know? I'm just a dumb kid spending all my money on an education leading to no real future.

To the old man who talked down to me:

I am fairly certain that you, in fact, cannot see my future no matter how much your eyes resemble crystal balls. So, excuse you, but I will be successful and respectable as hell--I'll even do it without a boyfriend or camera.