When I moved to the Midwest I was surprised by the limited number of grocery stores. Don’t get me wrong, in the town I live in, if nearly 60k residents, there are 5 grocery stores, three of them are owned by one company and two are independent. I am blessed to have one of my favorite grocery chains be the dominant store. And we do have two Walmarts, a Target and Sam’s Club.
I am fortunate.
This week, we are staying in the Smoky Mountains for several day, and since we have a “cabin in the woods” with a full kitchen and grill, we opted to pick up some groceries rather than eating out. The owner of the cabin let us know that there was a grocery just through the woods and down the mountain. So off we went.
I was delighted that, though small, it was a very clean and well stocked establishment. But it is the only grocery for miles and miles and miles. The place was packed with travelers and locals. As we gathered our needs and splurged on some things, we got lost in the search for foil and salt. None of the cashiers, yes real human cashiers not just self check-out, could help us locate table salt.
There were so many people in that little store. I waited to continue the salt search as people with no curtesy cut other people off and barged down isles. A sweet lady and her daughter were making their way through when they were crowded and cut off, not once but twice. So I stood my ground and let them pass. I said “It’s very busy here.” And she replied “It always is, this really isn’t bad.” I asked if she lived here locally and she said they did. I told her that I was sorry so many of us “Out of towners” invaded their area and what a nice grocery they have. She thanked me and we found the salt.
How lucky we are to have grocery convenience… Big city, small town or in the woods.
No comments:
Post a Comment