Just Another Night at TJ Maxx

It was another night at TJ Maxx, but when I noticed a man walk straight into the automatic entrance doors without allowing time for them to open, I knew something was going to happen.

"Did you notice the black gentleman wearing a dark colored shirt and white print on it?" I asked my loss prevention who responded with a no. "He ran straight into the doors without letting them open. I don't know if he is on something, but his eyes were blood shot; he might be high, so keep your eyes open."

Any time we see something odd, not usual or suspicious we are to note management (myself in this case) and/or loss prevention (whenever they are around.) Alert signals is what we call them; the gentleman who nearly broke my doors walking in was full of them.

I ignored the incident after having a small laugh and went along my normal business, until I saw a trio of women who come in every so often. These women often come in to return items that are questionable at best. Somedays I allow the returns. Unfortunately for them, today was not that day.

I was declining this trio of woman on each register, as they bounced around from cashier to cashier to return anything they could to get their "cash back." Tonight was not their night, since I continually said no to their items. Their aggression levels were raising. One with surprising calmness tried pleading her case. I had none of it though and stood by my decision. Another tried the yelling route and was just as ineffective as the former.

No, no, no, no, no, I'd politely say to all of them. After these women, a new challenger stepped up to the plate. The gentleman who ran into the door.

I had not seen him before, but I could tell this tall man was with this trio of women because he was attempting to fool my cashiers just as the others were. I caught on, and declined his return.

"You're making me angry." He stated with a snarl. Unfazed by his statement I continued to decline another rerun of his. His angry statement was then repeated. To this I politely responded, "Well this third item, I would love to accept!"

But at this point, his anger had turned into rage. The beast inside him was starting to come out as he curse words flowed out of his mouth. F-bombs and B words were flying, amongst other names like those which apparently only black people can say, and I this point I stood their unfazed.

I have never been one to be scared by any person or one to back down from a fight, but I have always been a position where I am alone. Here I am a manager, I have my associates to protect a store to look after and company to represent. I would not be in a fight tonight.

In the eyes of the man before me, I must have been looking for one. Just after the words, "I'm gonna f*** you up" came out, he took a swing at me. I was so shocked his action for two reasons: the first, his punch was unbelievably slow! Perhaps my previous judgement of him being in some altered state from drugs or another substance was true because I dodged his swing with ease. The second was the fact that he actually swung! WHO DOES THAT?!? Was this return really that important to him!?

After the swing, I asked the man to leave the store immediately. But he was not finished.

Behind the row of registers I walked continually asking the man to leave the store while he muttered his words of anger towards me. Much to my chagrin, instead of walking to the doors, he walked behind the registers and directly to me.

Putting my hand up in a non-aggressive way, I asked the man again to leave. His response was another swing. Being a much faster swing than the first, I was unable to dodge the fist flinging towards my head. The crowd waiting around the store collectively let out gasps of terror at the violent action. They were just as shocked as I was at the stupidity of this action over something so small.

The impact was not as jarring as I thought it might be. Honestly it didn't even hurt. And just like to the woman who pleaded her case, to the other who yelled, to this man who punch me I looked back at him, unfazed.

"Get Out Of My Store." I exclaimed. With a stern face, and seemingly unaffected by his brute force I responded to the man without physical action, without fear, without thinking of anything else. And he walked out of the store.

Pain started to creep into my jaw and throat. I order one of my associates to call '911' as the gentleman walks out. Nearly everyone who walked by me voiced their concern for me. I would respond with, "I'm fine." "I'll be okay." "You know, as a kid I always wanted to be a boxer." "I've been punched before, and I'm sure it won't be the last time." Truth is, I wasn't completely okay.

I was angry; I wanted to cry. I was just struck by someone's first and unable to strike back, fully defend myself. I was filled with so much emotion because I became something I am not used to being; a victim. The emotion was great but I stayed true to the words Paul mentioned in his letter to the Philippians, to have the strength to be content in all circumstance through Him who gives us that strength. Here I swallowed my prideful desire for a swift revenge, the river of emotional tears at the gate of my eyes and the victim mentality sneaking around in my mind.

From that moment on, I had a peace.

The police came, too little and too late as per usual. The sheriff got my story, one of a witness and that of the video surveillance.

The adrenaline rush was leaving me, which means the pain in my throat/jaw was strengthening. I asked for medical assistance from the police officer. Paramedics were called, which I learned was an awful mistake.

Within a few minutes the sirens were within ear shot.

"Freckin firefighters. Their sirens are so embarrassing!" Said one officer comically to another as we waited outside for them. "I bet you they're gonna come in here, not care about the space they'll take up and park all in the lanes here!" replied the other officer.

He was right.

Within a couple minutes one small firetruck came to my rescue. Oddly enough another two or three followed right behind them. Then I found myself surrounded by eight or so firemen who treated the situation like a family reunion! I found their comments amusing...

"Hey I didn't know you were gonna be here!" "Yeah, I'm riding with these guys tonight! Good to see you man."

"I think my cousin works at this TJ Maxx."

"I wondered what happened here."

After taking my blood pressure and bringing out a stretcher 'just in case', the one fireman paying attention to their patient stated, "You're young, you'll be fine."

I'm in pain and I wanted to be sure there was no structural damage to my body, but the fireman let me know, he was 'not a doctor' and said I could get x-rays if I really wanted. Smooth. Being the only manager, I could not leave the store without anyone for backup, thus I said thanks for them coming, but I won't be needing the stretcher tonight.

The next few hours as the store closed and customers left, I spent the time answer phone calls to my store manager, district manager, friends who work for TJ Maxx, and other regional personnel. I told the story over and over to everyone as they asked what happened.

Throughout this, one question loomed in my mind. I have had the most difficult experience with TJ Maxx since day one. Its been an odd experience like a roller coaster than goes down swiftly and rises rarely. I call it a "special" experience. I hear from other people in my position and above me that things like this rarely happen, yet all of them seem to happen to me. I don't understand.

Either I'm not supposed to be here, or something is trying to force me to leave. Then again, I recently heard a saying that God gives his hardest battles to His strongest soldiers. If that be true, then I hope soon the wartime will end.