The Experienced ChallengeI don't shop much anymore as my knees are sore and the stores are so big. However, I'm on shopping duty these days as my wife had her hip replaced last Monday. As an aside, it is remarkable how quickly she is recovering.
I just got back from grocery shopping and it was an eye opening.
As a non-shopper, I was shocked at the prices but that was just the beginning. As I was mulling over the selections, I watched a lady pick up pre-packaged ham slices from the deli and then put it back before choosing a smaller size. That got me curious so I just stood back a bit and watched for a couple of minutes. In that short time, I watched another lady pick up an item and then switch to a cheaper product. I also witnessed an elderly lady pick up a package and hold it for a few seconds before putting it back and walking away.
The look on the faces was disheartening to say the least. While I was actually angry about the prices, it was plain to see that the ladies were past angry and just sad.
I stopped the older lady that was walking away and handed her a $10 bill. She looked up and said "thank you". There was no "you don't have to do that" or any excuse, just "thank you". As hard as it is to believe that it has come to that in such a rich country, it is REAL.
My bank is in the same parking lot as the grocery store so I hit the ATM and picked up some $10 bills. I'm going to keep the bills loose in my pocket going forward so that I have easy access to them. I intend to take a few moments each trip to watch for someone that is clearly having a difficult time and slip them a tenner every time I go out from now on. The people that need the money are easy to spot if you take the blinders off and I'm not talking about the people holding up signs at red lights.
Please be kind and generous when you can. Small gestures count.