New Phobia: Mass Retailers. I Am Wal-Mart!

Good Morning BET's!

I was at Wal-Mart the other day.  I go there frequently to shop for one item that I should have put on a list so that I could combine trips, but I must admit, I enjoy walking the aisles and browsing.  Invariably, I will be approached by a fellow shopper and asked, "Sir, where do you keep your (fill in the blank)."  And this is not solely a Wal-Mart phenomenon for me.  This also happens at Target and Meijer.

Endless Aisles of Deals

My question becomes, why does this happen to me so frequently?  Does this happen to other people as well?  At first, I thought it might be because of the clothes I am wearing.  Maybe I'm wearing a shirt that looks like a blue vest with buttons and a name tag.  I actually checked one time just to make sure.  Nope.  Maybe it's because I have a vacant stare while I am perusing the awesome deals. Maybe I just look like I am in no hurry to leave, so I must be an employee.  No, that is actually counter-intuitive now that I think about it.  So what is it that makes people think I work at these establishments?

Looking at the evidence, I do notice a trend.  When I am at our public library, a venue in which I spend inordinate amounts of time, this  never happens.  I have never been sitting in my lawyer's office and been asked to take a look over someones will.  I also have never been asked for a diagnosis while waiting in the doctor's office.  Why only in mass merchant retailers?

Don't get me wrong.  I started my career in retail at a large discount drug store.  I LOVE retail!  But why, thirty some years later do I carry myself in such a way as to elicit questions about merchandising and store layout?  I think the answer is clear.  I have spent so much time roaming the aisles at these massive stores that a part of my DNA has been altered to reflect this fact.  Wal-Mart, Target and Meijer have actually assimilated me into the fold.  I am Wal-Mart!

Frighteningly, I have noticed other behaviors in myself that lend credence to this theory.  When I take a walk in the woods for instance, I look at the trees and admire their majesty.  But then I catch myself looking at individual branches, trying to find the best leaf, or maybe a better price on one that may be a bit damaged or off center.  When I mow my yard, I find myself mowing first in the places where the customer may not go, to get them to go there first, making them follow an evil maze of turf before they find what they came in here for in the first place.  AHHHhhhhhh!

So, today's life lesson:  Try not to over think things, and shop at Macy's once in a while.  (This has never happened to me at Macy's.)

Back to School Shopping-A Random Act of Kindness

Good Afternoon Everyone!

The other day I went on a huge journey to the civilization located a mere 25 miles-ish north of my home...a land we call Mishawaka!  They have a Super Target.  We don't have a Super Target.  We have a Super Wal-Mart, which puts us slightly lower on the food chain in terms of shopping I think.

As I was strolling through the aisles, salivating over the selection, that just a "normal" Target doesn't have, a thought occurred to me.  Why not put a little "care package" of school supplies together for my favorite teacher's classroom?  This would only cost me maybe another fifteen bucks, and it might put a smile on the face of some student who didn't get to do their BTS shopping at a Super Target. 

Then I had another thought.  What if something like this is already in place?  What if the PTA or another organization already organizes something like this to help the students?  After a two minute search on the web, I found that this is a very common practice.  Communities and school systems are doing this all over the country!  This is great!

Alas, another thought came to mind.  I had a lot of thoughts in that Super Target.  SO What!  What if it's not being done in my town?  Then the kids will suffer!  So I decided to do it.  And I encourage all of you to do it as well.  You don't have to spend a ton, just get a list of the required school supplies for a child in a specific class and make it happen!  If you can afford to, make it happen multiple times!

Folks, with unemployment and underemployment and the economy and all of these factors going against us, we can only count on one another.  Do this small act if you can and I know you will make a huge difference in the life of a child on the first day of school!

Thanks for reading, and acting, and Peace to you all! And remember, if you like what you are reading, don’t forget to follow me on Networked Blogs, or Google Plus, or subscribe on the top right, and recommend posts at the bottom of each post using Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook etc.  Thanks again for reading!