Can we count? 1, 2, 3 , 4 .......

Why do supermarkets cause so much stress to a lot of people?  I must be weird, but I love going to the supermarket. I go almost every day.  The cashiers know me by name.  The smell of fresh produce as soon as I walk in is enticing. Choosing the right shopping cart that doesn't have the twisted wheel can be a challenge, but hey at least it rolls.  And having "THE SHOPPING LIST" in hand is a must even though I never stick to it.

I always try to go in for one or two items but I end up leaving with 20+ items or more.  Since my husband is a chef, our world revolves around food.  I try with all my might to avoid the aisle with the International Foods because it has all the different sauces. Sauces from India are my latest craze.  Just add the sauce to browned chicken with a side of rice, delicious.  And I avoid the bakery.  I love breads with garlic and herbs baked right in to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  But the carbs are showing all over my body.

As I go up and down the aisles I notice that all the registers are empty.  But as soon as I finish gathering all my goodies and head to the check out area, everyone in the supermarket has the same idea too.  Haven't you noticed that whenever you go shopping, everyone seems to head to the registers at the same time? Why is that? But the few times that I do go into the supermarket to only pick up the one or two things I need, the lines are already long with people pushing shopping carts filled to the hilt.  I hope against hope that by the time I walk the few aisles that the lines have shortened.  But reality is they don't. 

Even the 20 items or less express lane has folks in line ten deep.  We look at their carts and start counting how many items they have to see if they are being honest and have the right to be in the express lane.  1, 2, 3, 4 .........21.  What?! 21 items? Really? How dare they.  Let's be honest, we have all done the counting.  Unfortunately with this economy stores are cutting back on personnel and supermarkets are no exception.  So even the express lane is sometimes closed. And I can't stand the self service lanes. So robotic.

DO SOMETHING KIND TODAY IDEA:

So what is a shopper supposed to do? Inhale, relax, exhale, relax.  And STOP COUNTING!.  Be nice at the check out line.  Read a magazine instead.  A few extra items in their cart won't make the world come to an end.  And if you are one of the folks like me that has an overflowing shopping cart, let the person behind you that is carrying a few items in their hands go in front of you, especially if they are elderly or dealing with babies.  The times I have let a person go ahead of me in line surprises the heck out of them.  They always ask, "Are you sure?".  Of course I am sure.  It warms my heart to see their smile when they say Thank You.  Because something that costs nothing is worth a lot.  A little kindness can make their day and mine.

JUST A DIME

I turn 50 in a few days and I have been doing a lot of introspection. And I asked myself what matters in life? Seriously, do I really know? These past 2 years have brought it to the forefront. A difficult economy and the global instability are enough to make anyone crazy. I empty-nested. My only son went off to college. And I have a husband that works a horrendous amount of hours. I am grateful he has a job, but I have had to face many, many hours alone. So what do you do to make yourself feel better? I could eat chocolate or go shopping or get a pedicure. But that 'good' feeling disappears so easily. I would gain weight and add more debt to my credit cards and I sure don't need either of those things.

I always considered myself a kind person and would do a nice thing every now and then, but not enough to really make a difference. You always hear that cliche, "It starts with you". But you know something? It really does. WE can change our environment, our world.  One kind act at a time.

I was in the supermarket the other day and there was a lady buying a gallon of milk. She was paying cash for her purchase. Unfortunately she didn't have enough money. She was short a dime. The cashier told her she would wait for her to go get some money from the car if she had it. The lady said she didn't have it. I always complain about how heavy my pocketbook gets because of loose coins. We all have a few coins in our purse. So without saying anything to her because I didn't want to embarrass her, I handed the cashier the $0.10. The lady turned around and said "Thank You, you didn't have to do that." I said, "Don't worry about it, it's just a dime.". And her response to me was, "It is never just a dime."

The rest of the day I had the warm and fuzzies. And I want to experience that feeling more often. I want to fill the voids I have with kindness and warmth.  And I want others to join me in that experience. I want to post an idea of something kind to do every week and I would love to hear your feedback.

DO SOMETHING KIND TODAY IDEA:

Don't give the finger (you know which one I mean), give a hand.

Give up the road rage for one day. If someone turns on their car signal, don't speed up. Let them in. And if someone cuts you off, don't flip the bird, wave and pray they arrive safely.