Checkout

On a rainy, humid Sunday night that felt more like Florida than New Jersey, I went into a local supermarket where typically shop two or three times per week. Tonight's mission was to buy some strawberries and rolls. I wanted to get out of the store as quickly as possible, and an express line looked like the best choice for a quick checkout.

It was. However, what struck me was the cashier. I'd never seen her before. She was an older woman, older than I. My immediate impression was that "she needed the job." I've been in that position, and one learns that a "normal" schedule is something to hope for rather than expect.

The Sunday night shift struck me as a tough way to make a living.

The cashier was quite deliberate and not particularly skillful in her packing. However, she was very polite and reasonably friendly. There was a man, a gray haired man whom I'd seen around the town, whom she knew and they had a warm conversation once my transaction was done.

The episode reminded me of a Picasso "Blue Period" painting called La Repasseuse. The somber 1904 work depicts a worn-out woman ironing. Picasso rarely seemed particularly sympathetic to people, but his "Blue Period" work is an exception to that generalization.

The time was a curious one for Picasso, as he was new to Paris and was poor. His proximity to human suffering connected with Picasso's ability to see into the personalities of economically struggling people. Picasso did this without bringing ideological baggage into his work.

Sometimes, one wonders what's the point of looking at "old" art, when the urgency and need for art that addresses contemporary concerns is more vital and necessary. While I appreciate the need to be engaged, history has much to show us. Just ask the cashier.