Well maybe that's why I ran out of my exercise class tearing up because I bumped into another person. And leaving abruptly made everything 100xs worse. Which I know it really didn't. But also yes I looked insane and that person is right to hate me now. So now I can never exercise there again just to be safe.
VoilaChihuahua
I love self checkout. From my decades of cash register experience I can tell you, your soul begins to leave your body standing still for hours doing the same repetitive mindless task. It is not a job most want nor honestly should do. I really can't fathom the folks who prefer waiting in line for one bored af human to do a task they could easily do themselves. A good company would find other things for their employees to do or (this would never happen) pay them more per hour to work fewer hours totaling the same weekly check. I feel only the elderly, overburdened, and incapable should use a cashier. If you got 2 available, working hands and can twist at the waist - get to scanning!!
The Broken Earth series, Enders game series (the first 5 books about Ender), American Gods, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and the follow up A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, The Kingkiller Chronicle (we've been waiting 10+ yrs for the final book 3, some folks are pretty irked atp, but it will be ok). If you want YA beach reading, anything by Seanan McGuire / Mira Grant for easy fun books about fairies, cryptids, and zombies.
I have coined the term hifellowkidsing when I struggle and fail to relate to teens. As in "I heard the neighbor kid loudly bumping what sounded like Eminem so I totally hifellowkidsed him and asked whether or not it was. He rolled his eyes and ignored me". My only comfort is I was a horrible snot at that age, so I have karmically earned every belabored sigh and humiliated grimace.
My unasked for opinion on the word "normies" - there are some real weirdies out there that got wires crossed and they sure don't revel in their undesired uniqueness. People who can't sleep for more than 5 minutes spans (she exists), folks sexually attracted to shoe horns, bros who can't feel pain and burn their hands touching the stove. Be happy most everything ended up where it should and working reasonably well - it's not a badge of honor to be an anamoulos fringe anything. I imagine it is painful and assume very lonely. Also there is nothing more fucking pedestrian than feeling uniquely misunderstood and alone. THAT is some normie shit.
It's a dangerous path, but does that mean we shouldn't consider it? Like when you vote you have to correctly identify your candidate's policies. Or you have to answer some moral question like "rich people are rich because they are in some way inherently better". Or if you vote anti choice you're informed "selecting this candidate waives all natal care that may end your fetus' life including termination of an unviable fetus to save your life, sign your name if you waive your medical rights" if they refuse to sign - your vote don't count. But a lot of folks are too dumb to get a say in this shit right now. I think the dumbing down of America is 100% orchestrated and intentional, but we need to fix our dumbness for a few generations and get a good level set of "not being a fucking dipshit" before we can trust the random person on the street has more common sense than a bag of mismatched socks.