Back in the spring, I began decorating my office cubicle with family photos.  If I would take a photo worthy of framing, I would have a copy printed at Target, purchase a frame, and decorate my cubicle one photo at a time.

It had become a routine.  Go to Target, press the “Need Service” button at the photo counter, wait a few seconds, and have a Target customer service representative retrieve my photo.  Bing, bang, boom.  We had a routine established.  We were a team decorating my cubicle.  It was a winning relationship, the Target photo center and me.

Earlier today, I went to Target to collect my most recent photo.  I pressed the service button and waited.  Nothing.  The person next to me left to go shopping, instead of wait.  Seconds passed.  It had never taken this long before.  I pressed the button again.  Nothing.  I saw an employee report to the button that had been pushed at the Electronics Counter.  The Photo Center was not first in line.  It was going to be a while.

I glanced across the counter.  I saw the same drawer that Target employees had accessed so many times before.  I knew where the photo was waiting.  All I needed was for an employee to grab them.  I waited.  Nothing.

I glanced at the drawer again.  What was the worst that could happen if I retrieved my photos on my own?  Snipers?  Handcuffs?  Black helicopters?  Bouncers?  I took action.

Quickly heading toward the drawer, I looked inside.  “A-M” photos.  Crap!  Wrong drawer.  Paulsen starts with a “P.”  I opened the drawer to the right and there it was.  My photo contained within a neatly prepared envelope containing a “Dave Paulsen” sticker.  I grabbed my photo and headed back into the customer safe zone.  The area where I was supposed to be.

You know what happened?  Nothing.  No response.  From anywhere.  Ever.  Heading toward the checkout lane, I knew I had done what was needed.  I was a man of retail action.  A man who could now continue to decorate his cube.

My cubicle’s newest photo.  It shows my three boys and it seems to include a subtle clue that the restaurant has introduced a Mexican food themed menu.