June manned concessions at county jail. She’d been there for years. None of us knew why she chose the path she did. None us knew why we chose the paths we did, either. Mostly, it didn’t matter. Paths mostly chose us. June was no different. She did good work and we were grateful for her service and her kindness.
June had a system. Unlike most systems – schools, prisons, governments – June’s made sense.
Aspirin on the top shelf. Advil, too. Both just out of easy reach. She believed most problems could be solved with single-dose items and non-medicinal products. Tic Tacs – orange and purple preferred. Nilla wafers in sleeves of six. Tampons front and center. Tiny tubes of hand softener to their right. Tiny tubes of toothpaste to their left. Antacid tablets and eye drops, too. Some days, hem
