Working Retail = Humility + Patience + Desperation

I started out in retail at the tender age of eighteen.  Quit after three horrible months working in the men's department of a well known clothing store and applied myself full time to getting a degree.  Five rigorous years and three loans later I graduated with a degree in English literature and two minors having read myself into nearsightedness, and here I am.  Yes, I once again inhabit the wondrous world of retail.  So how have I managed to remain sane for the past year and a half?  Well, I start out each morning with a cup of green tea and a good cry over my diploma.