a dirty, unshaven man in a leather jacket he's probably been wearing since around 1982 walked up to the customer service desk this afternoon, looking confused.

"can i help you with anything?" i asked, not sure whether to be wary of him or compassionate.

"up by the food," he said, pointing in the direction of the food court, "i tried to find a parking spot, but i couldn't find one."

"where are you parked right now?" i asked.

"up by the food," he answered, with a sheepish grin.

"oh, so you're parked up by the food court, but you're not in a parking place, huh?"

"yes."

"well, there's parking all the way around the mall, so if you keep driving around, you should be able to find one."

the man brightened, thanked me, and walked away.

i wish everyone that i encountered at work were like that. those are the folks that make me feel helpful.