"You've got 'cop' written all over you."

It was a dark and stormy night...As I took my place in line at Office Max yesterday morning behind at least 7 other people, I gaped incredulously at the one available checker. I wasn't incredulous that only one checkstand was open, that's a given at Vallejo's Office Max. The great surprise was that the young woman working the register was demonstrating exceptional customer service and moving her line along quickly. When I stepped up to pay I got a greeting and eye contact. She made sure to use the coupons that another employee had stapled to my copy/binding order to save me 20%, then studied me for a second and asked, "Are you a teacher?"

I think I gaped again. I mentally riffled through 14+ years of gradebook pages...I always recognize faces of my former students and usually remember their names a split second later, but I was drawing a blank. Thinking that she recognized me, I answered awkwardly, "I used to be. I mean, I still am, but only sort of..." I was about to ask if she'd gone to ---- High School when she explained, "You just look like you might be a teacher and as such you'd be eligible for an additional 10% off your order." I was as taken with her use of "as such" as I was thrilled with the additional 10%. Almost immediately, I snapped out of it. Teaching is a supremely important profession and it was a good one for me for a long time, but I'd rather be pegged as something more glamorous or dangerous or heroic or exotic or just plain cooler. Like an architect, cop, editor, spy, writer, voice-over talent... I mean, ¡¿What exactly about me screams teacher?!