Geographical Ignorance

“I’m glad she didn’t ask me to work there...” I stated, “I don’t even know where Mexico is!

As soon as the words were out of my mouth I realized how odd that sounded... though everyone in the pharmacy knew I was talking about Mexico the town in Maine, not Mexico the country... Mexico the country is down south. Mexico the town is up north. Somewhere. I’m not sure where.

“It’s just off route 142.” said one technician, trying to be helpful. And it might have been, if I’d known where route 142 was...

Anyway, it all started because the Wal-Mart pharmacist who was supposed to work in Mexico on Saturday couldn’t. So our District Manager was frantically calling around trying to get one of us to work there...

I wasn’t in my ‘home’ store (which is in New Hampshire) at the time. I was working with a pharmacist named Heather in North Windham, Maine, because Heather’s colleague needed the day off. I had just heard Heather on the phone apologetically declining to give up her free Saturday to cover another store, and when she got off I asked her where the need was. Which led to my comment about my geographical ignorance.

In the end it turned out that I played a role in covering the need after all. A pharmacist from Gorham, NH gave up her free Saturday to work my store in North Conway, NH, while I made a trip to Oxford, ME to cover for the pharmacist who actually went to Mexico. Sort of like a game of 'musical chairs.' Except with pharmacies.

And at least I know where Oxford is- right past Norway next to Paris.
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