Really People!

            I know in many parts of the world getting clean water is a very difficult thing.  But in this country (US) water is pretty plentiful and readily available.  The reason I bring this up will become clearer as you continue to read this post.

            The other day, like many days that come and go in a person’s life, my wife and I made a trip to the local Wal-Mart store.  Now I do not want to sound like I’m in any way trying to “put down” the local Wal-Mart.  I mean, in all honesty, in many small communities (and in some larger cities) the local Wal-Mart is “the” place to be to find out what’s going on or to visit with most people you would never find at home any way!  And I’m certain that what I am about to describe is by no way limited to Wal-Mart stores, but it must be a very common thing because there are many pictorial posts on the web high-lighting what I am going to describe.  I must also add that these observations were not all in the same visit, but happened over a period of time.

            Now, at our Wal-Mart, as is probably true at many of the stores, there are benches placed in various locations where you can sit and rest, interrupting your tedious job of shopping.  And in our store one such location is up front kind of between the check-out lines and the entrance/exit doors.  Because of my current health condition when we visit the store my wife usually does the shopping and I find myself a convenient bench to sit on.  In this location I can watch people coming and going from the store and observe not only what purchase they made, but how they are conducting themselves in public.  I don’t mean this to sound like I’m “stalking” anyone within the store, but I have always been a ‘people” person.  I like watching other people as they carry on their routines.  (By the way another really good place for this is at the Mall.)  What I would like to do is share with you some of my observations after which I think you will share my expression, REALLY PEOPLE!

            One thing I’ve noticed is connected to what I opened my comments with --- WATER!  Some of the people you see walk into this store appear not to have let themselves become familiar with a bar of soap or with water.  At least not for several days!  Now we live in an agricultural community and I know some of these people have just come in from the ranch and have had to “pickup” a few items to take back home.  So I’m not referring to these shoppers.  But there are others that, should I even say it, are just dirty and really need to clean up before they go out in public.

            And for some it’s not just their bodies or hair that need to have this attention, but their clothes!  I’ve seen people (and you probably have too) coming into the store looking like they haven’t changed clothes IN DAYS!  Some of them not only look like they have slept in their clothes, but have done everything else in them also!  REALLY PEOPLE!  I’m going to try and say this in the nicest way I can think of, but some of these shoppers look like they have used the bathroom in what they are wearing or maybe didn’t finish their business before they came to the store!

            Others and you’ll understand what I mean, come into the store thinking they must be in a carnival sideshow.  I’ve seen some ladies (and maybe I am using the term too generously) come shopping with their underwear OUTSIDE their clothes.  Maybe they forgot in what order you are suppose to dress yourself. I don’t know.  And I’m not talking about some little old lady who perhaps is beginning to lose her mental faculties!  No, these are younger girls.  If this is meant to be the NEW dressing fad someone is WAY OFF!

            And while we’re speaking of “dressing fads”:  When did it become fashionable to go shopping in your “pajamas?”  It looks like many people today (not just younger ones) wear their “nightwear” ALL day long, regardless of where they are going or what they are doing! Maybe this is why so many of them look like they have slept in their clothes!  They have!  Is it because people don’t want to wear or can’t afford to get themselves REAL clothes?  I don’t know!

            You also get the “other” end of the fashion spectrum.  I’ve seen ladies come into the store and you would think they just came off a Hollywood premier showing red carpet event.  They are dressed in such elegant apparel you may even wonder WHY they would be shopping at Wal-Mart!  Of course, you also get the other dress fad and that is to wear almost NOTHING!  I’ve seen ladies come in who were not only physical blessed but wanted everyone in the store to know it!  And to make sure everyone SAW how blessed they were, they let ALL their physical “ASSETS” be openly displayed when they would lean over or would reach high on the shelf to retrieve an item for purchase.

            Before everyone feels I am only hammering the lady shoppers, you men have a lot to think about also.  Sometimes your dress and grooming leaves a lot to be desired.  I can say, at least for my local store, you would think, at times, that almost ALL the men in the community were plumbers!  Every time they would bend over to take something off a lower shelf they prided themselves in displaying their “plumbers’ butt.”  REALLY PEOPLE!  We don’t go shopping to be entertained by such displays.  At least, I don’t!

            And we also have that group who come dressed, but you would think they had been dressed by Bozo the Clown (or at least got their wardrobe out of his closet).  Now if you don’t know who Bozo the Clown was, ask your parents (or maybe your Grandparents depending on your age.)  I mean, REALLY PEOPLE: checks, plaids, poke-dots, and an unbelievable combination of mixed and matched shirts, pants, etc. that you could hardly imagine that a real, live person had willingly chosen to dress themselves in this way.

            I’ve often said that “people are just strange creatures.”  And we really are!  And, of course, as I’m leaving the store and thinking what an amazing site I had been able to see while waiting on my wife to finish the shopping, I can only imagine what types of thoughts people were having as they walked passed me sitting there on the bench watching people walk by?  Maybe they too felt a little sorry for the old “hobo looking” man who was sitting on that bench watching them while they went shopping at Wal-Mart!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"An angry person does stupid things.

Stay Happy!"