The Bruce in Your Life

I work at a bank–one of the big ones. It’s terrible. I watch money pass through my hands every day and wish it was mine. I grudgingly tell customers about free credit reports/online banking/credit card offers. I force small talk upon tired-looking people who would rather be outside in the sunshine than dealing with the vapid teller in front of them.

That’s my life right now: tedious, plastic, stagnant.
But there are rays of lights. They cut through the brick walls and heavy glass doors and fake wooden booths. They hit me in the chest and jump-start my frozen heart; they remind me I am alive. I am grateful for these rays of light, these defibrillators. I am grateful for people like Bruce.
<–How I often feel at work.
Bruce approached my window on a particularly bad day. It was the end of the quarter. I was struggling to reach my quota goal. I had just dealt with a string of customers who were either A) Unresponsive. B) Waspish. C) Condescending assholes who did their best to make me feel like just another brainless service person.
When Bruce stepped up to my window, I gritted my teeth and prepared myself for another ugly interaction. I didn’t look him in the eye when my usual, canned greeting slid out of my mouth, “Good afternoon, welcome to _____ ____. How can I help you today?”
A deposit.
Good. Easy. I can handle that.
I snatch the deposit slip and check out of Bruce’s hand and he looks at me for a moment and says, “Kate, what do you do besides this?”
I pause. I am not expecting this. I am not expecting someone to actually engage me in conversation, to actually show interest in me.
I look at him. He’s smiling behind his wide glasses while his straight, brown hair falls past his face. He brushes a strand away and I answer him.
“How did you know I do something outside of this? Outside of work?”
“I had a feeling.”
“Oh,” I say. I catch myself genuinely smiling and try to remember the last time that happened at work. “I’m a writer.”
“A writer? No way! What do you like to write? Tell me more…”
I spent the next six or seven minutes chatting with Bruce, describing the book I had written, bitching about the tedious editing process, lamenting the fact that I don’t have nearly enough free time as I would like to write. The entire time he nodded, grinned, offered encouragement and advice, told me about the dance studio he and his wife created. By the end of our interaction, my mood had picked itself off the ground, shaken itself off, and was dancing around me, shaking a tambourine. I felt amazing. I felt happy. I fed off the good vibes of our conversation for the rest of the day.
But time trudges forward and memories are short. I often forget about

Bruce and fall into the brooding, dark space that is so easy to slip into these days. I shouldn’t. I should carry our interaction in my head every day and call upon it when I need a boost of positivity, a shot of joy.

Beyond that, I should remember that there are “Bruces” in our lives everyday. We just need to look for them.
How I should feel–>
(And Bruce, if you’re reading this post, thank you. Truly.)

Author: KateBitters

Kate Bitters is a Minneapolis-based author and freelance writer. She is the author of Elmer Left, Ten Thousand Lines, and He Found Me. One of her proudest/nerdiest moments was when Neil Gaiman read one of her short stories on stage at the Fitzgerald Theater.

8 thoughts on “The Bruce in Your Life”

  1. Hey Kate –

    Every time a link to your blog pops up on my facebook newsfeed, I click it. The excerpt from your book was amazing. I honestly can't remember the last time I was excited to read the next sentence of a paragraph. Not the next chapter, not the next page… every sentence had my attention.

    This most recent post about Bruce got me a little teary eyed. What a great story, and how well written. It makes me want to be like Bruce. Notice when people are having a bad day and do something about it. Amazing how a short conversation can truly change someones day.

    Thanks for telling your story. And I'll be reading your soon to be published book.

  3. Interesting story to hear. I have went to banks several banks, I can tell you that most of the workers are very cranky. They tend to be bitter towards you. I just say that from personal experience. Well Kate, do what you can and you will survive all the drama you have to encounter.

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