Not a clerk, but super helpful anyway

The next time I see you in a store, even though I don't work there, I'll gladly help you find anything.

People always seem to think I'm a clerk. It gets tricky because after assuring folks that I'm just a fellow customer, they think I'm fibbing when I turn around and deliver some great customer service.

Take antique stores. Ladies often accuse me of being a clerk in disguise simply because, yes, I can help them find everything from milk glass to Melmac.

Today a girl in a thrift store walked up and reported that another girl was being mean to her. But as much as I dislike bullies, it's not right for kids to talk with strangers, no matter how clerk-ish they might look. So I walked away on that one.

It's a weird trend, but it's also fun — and harmless. I could look like a doctor and hang around hospitals...