LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — During the weeks leading up to Christmas, I may have gotten myself “all in a tizzy” as the southerners say, but I’ve fully recovered and hopeful to make my wasted frustration into something more positive for next year.

Of all the events I endured that would make even a sloth lose its patience, I dealt with the exasperating Walmart holiday shoppers.  As Hank Williams Jr. would say, “pride’s not hard to swallow.  Once you chew it long enough.”  

Once I walked through those quick sliding doors bossing me in red bold letters which way I needed to exit or enter, I acquired the persona of James Bond on a mission.  With the grocery list in hand, I was popping items into my cart like gunfire — that is, until I got distracted by some delicious smelling candles, of course.  After I traveled through the scents of warm, vanilla cupcakes, cherry cobbler and sea spray, I gave up on picking out a single fragrance and went to grab my cart — that didn’t exist.

Someone had sneakily trailed off with my buggy — items included!  Well played Walmart shopper, well played.  After I frantically began looking for the much despised culprit, I made my way back to the foyer to grab yet another buggy.  I began popping items into my cart again, suppressing my frustration at every person within the store that got in my way.  

Once I had completed the dreaded task of grocery shopping, I finally reached the glorious check out line, with the beaming number six.  Lucky for me, there was only one person in line in front of me. “Success!” I joyfully whispered.  Fifteen minutes later, after a woman paid the cashier three dollars worth in pennies and four coupons, I finally got to swipe my debit card for an outstanding fee.  I wasn’t feeling quite the success I was hoping for at the time, but yet, I was still hopeful that the day would not end in shambles.

I pushed my cart out of the store as if it was a wayward child and exited out of the “ENTER” door right into the pouring rain.  

The moral of the story that day was not to avoid the grocery store during the holidays but that frustration doesn’t hurt anyone, only yourself.  I may have felt like I was done wrong, but I now realize that I had a major spiritual problem instead.  

Christmas is over for this year of 2012, but I beg of you, don’t let it be over yet for your chance at holiday cheer.  We could all use a year round smile and polite “thank you.”



mmccrarey@sentinel-echo.com