Changing allegiance

I remember the day I became an Elizabeth Arden girl. Working in my first real job, a junior doctor in a rural hospital, I had time for a bit of a bushwalk between the end of my shift and the bible study group I attended. Drove to the park boundary, enjoyed a quick tramp, got back to the car and pulled out from the parking spot to discover I had a flat tyre. Which I changed as any resourceful woman five miles from anywhere and anyone would. But I had no time for a shower and felt grimy and dirty from all that manual work. So I called in at the local pharmacy - tried all the perfumes - and settled on a large bottle of EA. It was an amber colour but I don't remember the name. I know that when it was going out of production I bought up three bottles which lasted me a good while. And as I got older, and used make-up more regularly, I always gravitated to the Elizabeth Arden stands. Friendly knowledgeable staff. Good products. Until this year. Twice I went to the EA stand in our local department store (moderately upmarket). The first time the attendant was talking on a mobile phone, saw I was waiting but continued her conversation regardless. The second time there was no one there for an extended period of time. Irrationally I walked back toward the entrance and responded to the friendly overtures of the Clinique staff. It kind of surprised me that after nearly 30 years I could be so fickle and abandon an entrenched retail habit. For irrational reasons. Which are basically self-centred (she didn't pay adaequate attention to me ...) But it makes me wonder what it is like for people coming into our churches and health services. How well do we attend to them? Interrupt our routines or conversations to address a question or concern? Value each person-presence? Take notice and respond?