My job .. my customers .. I should get paid for therapy!

I run a storage place. It is the type of place where I have a whole office building to myself and over see about 500 storage units.

Ok so yesterday I felt like the town therapist. First off as soon as I get to work a male customer comes in. I had never met him before. He rented his unit over the phone with my boss. So he needed to come in and sign the papers. So he came in .. sat down at my desk.

I gave him his papers to sign and explained the rules, the rates, and any fee's. He signed his papers ... then was still sitting at my desk. I am thinking ok ..

Next he proceeded to tell me why he needed his storage. Which honestly most of my customers do. He went into how he was dating a lady for the last three years ... she cheated on him ... then all the sudden she decides she is going to make him move out. She apparently threw his stuff outside. So he scrambled and gathered his things and put it into storage ... and his story went on .. and on ... and on. So then next thing I know an hour has gone by and he is still in my office .. still yacking ... made himself comfy. Took his coat off ... leaning back in his chair. I talked to him for a little bit longer and come to find out he is homeless now. He has been sleeping in his truck. So basically he was wanting to stay in my office with me as long as he could because it is comfy and warm! I let him stay for a bit. Then after about 2 1/2 hours he went to his storage unit and I thought he was going to be leaving.

I was wrong. A little while later he came back into the office. He was 'bearing gifts'. It was a sweet gesture. He found a teddy bear in his unit and a book he wanted to give me for being so kind. It really made me uncomfortable .. but I understood he was happy someone cared and was willing to listen and let him warm up for a bit.

He finally leaves ...

About a half hour later a woman comes in. She is another one of my customers. She needed to pay her monthly rent. She sits at my desk. As she is writting out her check I could see her eyes tearing up. I kept quiet. I just let her do what she had to do. She started talking. She told me how she is going thru a divorce and she is having a hard time with it. She said she recently lost her house that she worked many years to get. She is now a single mother of a 13 year old girl. She told me how her ex was abusive and how even now that they are apart he is 'ruining her life'.

Now having been in this womans shoe's before .. I could totally relate. I told her I had been there before and gave her some adive of stuff that helped me and my kids. I also gave her some phone numbers of some places in the area that will help her to get back on her feet. She was still crying .. but she thanked me thru her tears. She said she doesn't know why she sat down and told me ' her life story'. She said she just feels comfortable with me.

She needed to get some things out of her storage unit before she left but she told me everytime she goes there all she see's is memories ... she says then she feels the hurt and pain all over again. I offered to go to the unit for her and get what she needed but she decided she should try to face her pain and try to cope.

I was late going home from work because she was still in my office like a half hour after closing.

I know in my heart of hearts that everything happens for a reason .. like these people came to my storage place for a reason. I believe in fate and destiny. I do not think if they had gone elsewhere they would have been treated with such compassion.

I told my boss today about yesterdays customers. He laughed .. he was like no one sits down for that long with him telling him their life stories!  LOL .. oh well!