I'll admit it. There are times I like to go shopping. Now before you become unglued from hysterical laughter, let me qualify the type of shopping I "sometimes" like to do. When it comes to clothing, if I can’t buy it from a mail order catalog it doesn't get purchased. But food is a different story, I am talking about the grocery store. You can learn a great deal about society by going to the grocery store.
As a kid, I enjoyed visiting my grandmother. Just around the corner from her home was a little neighborhood grocery store. Zogby's I think was the name. Almost daily, she would call them in the morning with a grocery order and by early afternoon, it would be delivered, right to the house. Pretty neat!! And if I was coming for a visit, there would be an extra package of cookies in the bag, compliments of the grocer..
Food shopping has changed over the years. The neighborhood grocery store has joined the ranks of the dinosaur and the Edsel. Today's stores are huge and filled with items that many in other parts of the world only dream about. There seems an abundance and variety to tantalize any taste buds.
I approach grocery shopping as if it were a game, a challenge. How can I get want I want at the lowest price? I know they put those small, almost unreadable labels with numbers and bar codes under each item and by reading them you can determine which might be the best buy. But with today's cell phones....you can comparison shop right there in the aisle, checking prices in other stores.
It has been said the 'you are what you eat.' Now, what I am about to say may sound a bit creepy, but …..sometimes it's fun to look in other people's shopping carts. What do other people buy? How similar or different are the items in their cart. More important, did I miss a good buy? Or maybe...I am just plain nosy.
Speaking of shopping carts, have you noticed that they now come in at least three different sizes; small, medium and the family with four kids size cart!
One of the new trends in grocery stores I really like is the “buy local” initiative. Many of the major grocery chain store in Maine support the local farmers and that is good for the economy. Who really wants to buy a 'hot' pepper from Mexico, or worse, California. We have our own hot peppers right here.
Often, stores will “rearrange” items on the shelves and to be perfectly blunt, I don't like it. Like my grandmother, the older I get, the more important it is to maintain consistency. But store managers will often move things around and that quick stop to pick up just a few items now becomes a bit longer as I have to search for the new locations. Oh, I get it!
One of the things I do miss is the blaring of the intercom announcing a “spill in aisle three!” It was fun to race to the aisle to see the maple syrup spilled on the floor and a mother struggling to keep her three year old from crawling through the mess.
So with my shopping nearly completed, I make one quick pass by the bakery section. On the counter is a plate of cookies. What I have found is that these cookies are not only for kids, but 'old men' too.
See you next time by the fresh veggies section!
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