Dear Friend, this week I wish to speak on one of my super powers. Have you ever wanted something but don’t know that you want it? Have you ever wanted something and know you wanted it but can’t say it? Have you ever struggled to say something, to find the right word? Have you ever needed someone to fill in the blank? I have the ability to predict people’s needs. As someone that has worked in the service industry for a long time it’s become a second nature. I first developed this super power back in my movie theater cast member days. I was young and impressionable and found that I was generally not wanted among many of my coworkers. They were older than me generally with me being the absolute youngest by far in many rights. Being unwanted at your very first job is often expected but being your first job you don’t understand that very well (unless you are wise beyond your years). Therefore I needed something to stand out amongst the rest of my coworkers. Aside from one of my other super powers I developed, I tried to anticipate needs. Eventually as someone does when they are not wanted in a job and don’t catch the hint, they get scattered to do other stuff. I eventually had a position designated to me by one manager called the “SANS NAME HERE POSITION” otherwise known as the “Get-Fucked”. See, in this position I was scheduled one thing but I learned immediately from that first shift that I would be working just about everything on that shift. I learned quickly that one thing really meant another and that there was always something darker looming on the horizons. Therefore I developed one of my first super powers. I learned to anticipate needs. I would be working, taking tickets, and see a person approaching, confused after I tore their ticket. Judging by their frowning faces and confused expressions I reasoned that they were in fact not listening when I told them which way to go for their movie. So I would memorize faces to movies, if only for the next two hours. Confused person in the Deadpool hoodie? Deadpool. Grandma and Grandpa? Old Man and the Gun. Theater Regular and Wealthy Customer? Which ever was the biggest movie that week OR the most obscure movie you’ve never heard of. Eventually I would be tossed to concessions. The standard deal is popcorn and a drink. I would keep my eye out for regulars but would do the sales thing and ask if I could start them off with something like a popcorn and a drink at the biggest sizes. 7/10 that would be the right thing. Group looks like this is the first movie they’ve seen in years and their on the smaller size? Recommend them smaller sizes cause even those will be too much. Regular from before makes eye contact with you and waits specifically for me? Easy, I have their order memorized. I eventually became the defacto regular ambassador. They don’t even need to ask me for it. I remember popcorn tower, teen boy with girlfriend that saw one movie a week, film critic for the local college newspaper, hotdog guy that worked for the unemployment office and many, many more. I would spot them in the crowd and specifically space my guests to get those guys, even they would move in the line to assist me with such tasks too. Eventually my skills began to grow. I began to notice inflections in my managers. One such manager was relegated to NEW CLOSING MANGER FOR FORESEEABLE FUTURE. He hated it. Therefore I was quick to make a joke to him every time I saw him, so whenever he saw me (to this day) it brings a smile to his face. It also helped that he was the purchasing manager and frequently was told to sell the promotional stuff. Of which I would pitch the mostly awful products at him with the tag line “as you can see we still have our entire inventory so clearly everyone loves them”. This power grew beyond work until it became a curse. I try to anticipate everyone’s words, thoughts and action. Often I dream of the next day and have problems separating the two. Often too, I will have similar conversations to the dreams. In doing so I will try and finish thoughts or sentences and find myself just interrupting people all the time. This is something that I’ve begun to work on diminishing in my life. At least the social aspect of it. Two more instances for you. In my current job, I can see the little details of a problem and will quickly determine what the next thing is and fix it before my boss has even considered it a problem. This in itself would be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that I have a boss that believes me when I say I’ve prevented catastrophe. Another instance was when I worked in schools. I was never able to predict the next line of action ever. I found myself utterly useless, unable to anticipate needs. Often I would get sidelined for things cause I wasn’t able to let this super power show. Really I wasn’t able to show off any of my super powers off when I was a teacher but that’s an analysis for another time. Dear Friend, this is a super power that must be wielded with great responsibility. You can make your self indispensable, but you can also anger others when you anticipate wrong or interrupt. Dear Friend, tell me of your super powers.

In the end, you will be alright.