The Grocery Store Experience, Ruth Style

"Honey. Where's the honey?" I talked to myself as I wondered through the Harris Teeter. It keeps me sane and helps me think as I try to locate things in grocery stories. For me, grocery shopping is a necessity and not a joy. It must be done, but it is not something I look forward to. Who does?

This particular day, Mom had asked me to pick up some things that were on sale on my way home. No problem. However, due to the fact I don't frequent grocery stories and that this specific Harris Teeter was oriented opposite to all the other Harris Teeters, I was having difficulty finding the things I needed. I laugh at the idea of what my path through the store would look like if I had red paint on the bottom of my shoes. Up, down. Over. Across. Opps! Better check that aisle, maybe it's there. Zig, zag through the aisle. All the way up one side of the store (looking up at the signs for any "sign" of my item), and all the way back down (looking to the side, scanning the aisles from a distance for any clue). I could spend close to an hour shopping, because of this. I'm perfectly happy trying to figure it out on my own. Here's the rub: there are these people, usually, who are very nice with name tags that say, "How can I help you?" and then they say, "Can I help you with something?"

"No. I'm good." I then try and proceed with my wondering, but in my unorderliness, I keep running into them. Sometimes they shake their heads and laugh, some try and ask again, "Are you sure you don't need any help?" and then others are just too busy to help anybody but themselves, even if I had changed my mind!

Back to my story. Through my individual method I had already found most of the items on my list or come to the conclusion they were not there. I had been asked by this very nice gentleman if I needed help. I, of course, declined, but as I kept trying to find the honey, it kept alluding me. This item I could not conclude would not be there. I mean, what grocery store doesn't have honey?

Finally, I got up the guts to ask the very nice man. His response was quite out of the norm and rather surprising. "Oh no!" he said, with a twinkle in his eye, "You already had your chance!"

Here I get up the guts to admit I need help, in a grocery store no less! and he gives me a hard time! I laughed good naturedly, appreciating his humor; wanting to die due to my pride. After giving me a hard time, I guess he decided he'd had enough fun, and showed me where the honey was.