Change You Can Have

It’s amazing how we all wanted change during the last presidential election (are you through with that stupid slogan?), yet when introduced to a seemingly inconsequential change there is a tendency to spazz-out. That’s human nature. Take the person who washes their aluminum cans and plastic bottles then meticulously counts each item. He shows up at the redemption center announcing, “I have 117 aluminum cans, 27 glass bottles and 26 plastics.”
“Sir, if I weight them, I’ll pay you the scrap value for the material.” It’s more.
“But I’ve counted them.” To prove his efforts, he thrusts a scrap paper with his scribbled counts in my face.
“If you want them counted, we will count them, but I guarantee you’ll get more if I weight them.”
Not convinced of this, he says, “I have the count right here.” Again with the paper.
“I appreciate that, but if you want to be paid for the count I must verify the count.”
“You didn’t do that before.” (there’s another change)
“That’s because I never did this before. We are a new company (change) and we must verify counts. Anything up to 200. (change) Then we only weigh (change).
“Well count then.”
Now I am thinking, “shit.” I hate counting. I always lose track of my numbers.
I finish the count. My numbers match his. I take note of the smug look on his face. I carry the bins to the scales and enter his counts into the computer.
“That’s $8.50.” I give him his receipt and direct him to the cashier. Then I weighed his material. He would have received $10.01 for the scrap value. That’s change I could live with. It’s money my company keeps.