Tuesday is Byron’s and my errand-running day, for the most part. Beth, who’s cleaned our house ( two different houses ) for 32 years is doing her thing for about 3 1/2 hours every Tuesday morning, and she is grateful that we get out of her way. So, we keep a ” to do ” list all week——-until Tuesday rolls around.
It’s important to note that we end our Tuesday journey at Main Street 211 virtually every week. I have the poppy seed chicken special ALWAYS, and Byron has chicken salad with grapes and tomatoes. And then , for future, easy , ” do it yourself ” meals, I bring home white chicken chili soup and oreo pie slices !!!!!! You just can’t beat it………………..
So, this week , off to drop Gracie at Lavonia Pet Salon for her bath, by the bank for check-cashing, then to Lavonia Animal Hospital to pick up Gracie’s medicine, and on to Hartwell for incidentals at Walmart, the ever-present stalwart of ” all you’ll ever need ” under a single roof !
Gathered my few things while Byron headed to the market for dog food. Gracie eats whether we do or not , as any of you pet-lovers know and understand ! I decided to sit in the entrance, something I’ve never done before. So, here are some lessons learned.
—–In about 15 minutes of waiting , I counted some 35 + people coming and going, including two that I knew , Frances ( Tiny ) Andrews and Jean Davison. So happy to see both and chat for a few minutes. Would have missed an opportunity had I not chosen to sit and wait. Stopped counting customers while we visited , so my numbers may be skewed.
—–Out of the 35+, all but seven either smiled, spoke, nodded, or waved with happy thoughts like ” Hope you’re having a good day “, ” Nice weather we’re sharing ” , ” You look comfortable ” , ” How are you today ? ” etc. You get the picture : upbeat, pleasant, friendly, and just downright uplifting ! A whole bunch of strangers being kind and attentive. What a concept………….
—–On the other hand ( there’s always the “other hand ” ) , the seven or so who chose not to reach out seemed either preoccupied, angry, sad, or even arrogant. At one time three people walked out together : no smiles, no conversation, no packages. Made me wonder.
Just a little piece of life. Just a small snapshot of human nature. Just a reminder to me ( ESPECIALLY TO ME ) that we are noticed and noted. And , most important of all, however insignificant we might feel in this big ole world , what we do ——what we say—-what we model ——are building blocks for someone, somewhere.
Lesson learned from the entryway at a Walmart !
( ALWAYS APPRECIATE COMMENTS AND SHARES )
There’s a Walmart greeter job in your future (maybe)!
THANKS !!!!!!!
I am a frequent Walmart shopper. I am always on the lookout for an opportunity to help someone. I often see someone looking wistfully at an item on an upper shelf. My instinct is to say, ” May I help you?” The response is always gratifying, and I feel that my good deed of reaching a top shelf, just out of their reach, has given me and the shopper a warm feeling that could have been overlooked.
Passing it forward. Always a good thing.
What a fun few minutes of people watching.
Loved this. Look forward to doing that in the airport this week. William Carson, I am so grateful to men like you that help me “reach” in Walmart!!
Thanks for reading and responding…..
Diane, my first thought is that Sean Dietrich would agree with you regarding being FULLY aware of others and their human condition and needs, both physical and personal. A smile and recognition can, and does, raise a person’s spirit.
Second thought: unless your Lavonia wallyworld is different than most are, you are brave to sit near the store exit as a woman with purse and packages. But then, you are someone who is aware of what is happening around you and a very capable person. Still, be careful and keep Byron close by.
Thanks for reference to Sean ; love his columns !
A couple of observations : first of all , I appreciate your concern for me. It means much.
But, I have not carried a purse for many years but use pockets ( and Byron ) for incidentals , and my few packages were in the basket with Byron.
As to sitting in the entryway, I had absolutely no trepidation ! We are still a rural community and although bad things happen, it isn’t like being in a metropolitan area by a long shot.
I was more than comfortable people-watching .
“… Jean Davison. So happy to see both and chat for a few minutes.”
teehee! love my momma!
it’s cute to see this. it’s funny because my daddy and i often poke fun at how my momma is not a “small talker”… we make fun of her “yankee” upbringing as answer to this characteristic. in truth, she is one of the kindest people one could know and i love to see her friendliness shine. baha! i’m truly obsessed with her and proud to be her biggest fan!
As well you should be !!!!! Have always enjoyed your parents. Thanks for adding to my story.
❤️ your words and notes on life are deeply appreciated and inspire much within me. to use a compliment my daddy often gives as an ultimate show of respect , “you are a gentleman (see: gentlewoman🤣) and a scholar.” sending all my love to you!
How sweet is that ! Thank you ——and keep thinking and advocating. We need activists in this messy world, for sure.
on another note, i think you will appreciate this perspective on life and the day to day interactions that inform us. david foster wallace, now tragically passed, is one of the authors i list as one i have read when i want to seem pseudo-intellectually interesting. baha. but ironically, it is in this speech that he humbles me away from intellect and towards basic kindness…and interrupts my sometimes unconscious thinking or centralist lack of awareness.
here is the audio:
https://soundcloud.com/brainpicker/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water-1?utm_source=clipboard&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fbrainpicker%252Fdavid-foster-wallace-this-is-water-1
here is transcript and second link of the speech part 2: https://fs.blog/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water/
Thank you……….