Observations from Aisle 6

Scattershooting while walking down every aisle in the South Lewisville Wal-Mart... (except I'm at home now because I ain't got one of them fancy-schmancy phones to post from the road)...

— I enjoy walking around my local Wal-Mart for many reasons, one of which is the great diversity of people groups represented there. It's like a mini United Nations. There are Hindus and Muslims, Jews and Buddhists, Christians like me, and probably some agnostics, too. A couple weeks back I saw some Buddhist monks shopping in the dairy and meat sections. They were in full garb with shaved heads and everything. That was a first for me. I like being around these other cultures perhaps because deep inside I long to understand more about them and, in the process, squelch my own nature to judge them. There are many different cultures on this planet and people from every culture have made their way to America. And my local Wal-Mart. And I think that's cool. 

— Along those lines, I have little respect for those who despise immigrants in this nation, whether legal or illegal. This is specially true for those who actively seek to ruin a person's reputation because their parents (or a parent) weren't born in this country. I've found that some people are ruled by fear of the unfamiliar and they will do anything they can to rid unfamiliarity from their circle of life. Yet I find it interesting that America, including Texas, was founded by immigrants and our American culture is fully a combination of cultures brought by those immigrants. Odds are that you were most likely the child, grandchild or great-grandchild of an immigrant. Maybe we should fear ourselves! 

— That picking up two items can sometimes take forever at Wal-Mart. Especially when you walk down every aisle... 

— I'm wondering whether or not hand-holding couples notice single people the way single people notice hand-holding couples. When you're lonely, everybody seems to have a somebody. But you know this isn't true. It just seems that way. I see plenty of solo shoppers at Wal-Mart, too, and that's encouraging. 

— For some strange reason, I get a kick out of observing (without staring) couples as they shop. There are so many different dynamics on display. Couples shopping silently, couples arguing, couples just hanging on (literally, clinging to each other), couples that shop together via phone, and some couples that just look plain confused.  

— That the price of groceries keeps creeping higher, much like a weed. It doesn't grow during the day but somehow it's bigger the next morning. 

— That I'm tired after observing so much in such little time.

Good night!
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