Jackie Wells-Fauth
I was in the grocery store the other day, picking up a few of the items I knew I needed at home. Towards the end of the store, I took stock of what I had bought: I had two bottles of tea, three cartons of cottage cheese, a bag of chips, bananas and strawberries, a loaf of bread and three different kinds of soup. There was scarcely enough room for the eggs and orange juice that I picked up last. I thought perhaps I should check my list, but of course, I hadn’t brought it with me. That is how I run to the store for one thing and come out with 20.
It isn’t just the grocery store where I do this. The other day, I popped in at the variety store for a spray bottle. I came out with two gallons of vinegar, a couple of packages of dishwasher soap, a bottle of aspirin and two birthday cards. I even managed to remember the spray bottle, but that isn’t always what happens.
I recently needed a new pair of sneakers. I went to the shoe store and looked over all the sneakers. I found a pair of shoes that I thought were lovely and bought them. Couldn’t wait to get home and show them to Roy.
“What do you think of these shoes?” I asked, modeling them proudly.
“Very nice, but where are the sneakers you went to buy?” he asked.
I thought about it for a moment, then picked up my coat and purse.
“Where are you going now?” he asked.
“Back to the shoe store,” I didn’t need to explain any further. Once again, I bought what I didn’t intend to and as frequently happens, I forgot the thing I was shopping for.
I have a hard time going into a store and not coming out with something I think I absolutely need. I am particularly affected by this disease when it comes to books. I always promise myself I will only buy one…or maybe two, and I find myself coming out with another bagful. It’s so much fun!
When I come home with another shelf of books, I am very defensive. “It could be worse, you know,” I tell Roy as I squeeze another book onto the shelf.
“And how is that?” he responds.
“Well, I don’t collect antiques, which could be expensive, and I don’t drink or smoke or spend all night in bars,” I pointed out.
“Compared to ten books at a time, it might be cheaper if you take up drinking,” was his rather surprising response.
I once went to a craft store (one of my favorite types of stores) and came out of the building without anything. I noticed Roy, waiting in the car, take out his phone and take a picture.
“What are you doing?” I was already frustrated by not finding what I wanted.
“I’m just taking a picture of you coming out of a craft store without anything,” he responded. “I need proof cause otherwise no one will believe it.”
I’d be more upset if he wasn’t right about my spending habits. But by far the worst is definitely the grocery store, which brings me back to my latest spending spree. I brought home all the bags and began unloading them.
“I thought you just went to the store for butter,” Roy said.
I hesitated for a moment and then got my coat and purse and headed out. Maybe this time, with a little luck, I’ll only buy five things and one of them will be butter!
dropsinthewell 