Yes we are all dealing with something. It's been a rough few years for all of us for various reasons.

I've always made it a practice of cracking a stupid joke or two to checkout clerks. It brightens the dull day (and I worked retail when I was young so I feel their pain). I don't always do it but whenever a great opportunity comes I do.

And the other day there was a HUGE pile of bacon at the whole foods breakfast bar and I said to the complete stranger who was grabbing some, "Don't you even think of taking the last piece." He totally lost it.