The REAL Economy

I went shopping today for groceries, and embarrassed my husband, for which I am truly sorry. However, since he can’t read minds, maybe he can forgive me.

We were standing in line at checkout, third back from the register. An older gentleman, (not old, as we were probably about the same age) was there buying some food. He was paying with change. The cashier was patiently helping him count out his pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters trying to come to the required amount. This went on for several minutes. The longer it took, the hotter I got, not because of the TIME it took to count change out, but because of the NECESSITY of the situation.

I wasn’t angry about this man using coins to pay for his food, I was angry at the fall in our economy that brings a person to counting out the change in his pocket to buy food. I know someone who also paid for their groceries this week with change, but this person went to the bank with the change and converted it to dollars.

Again, I wasn’t angry at this man, or the time. I was embarrassed to be watching him in his time of need. I wanted to just go forward and pay for his food, but this would have embarrassed him more. So I did what I thought best, and moved to a self-check-out place. Of course, since I was already at the end of my patience, this was a bad move. This is where my husband got embarrassed. I couldn’t run that silly machine. And then I cancelled the operation and put my food back in my wagon and went to a place where a live person was working. (Why this store only has one or two live people checking out people on a busy shopping day, I don’t know.) Anyway, this move to a third register was seen as a hissy-fit by my husband, and as I said at the beginning, I am sorry for this.

However, I am sorrier that this country has fallen to the level that a person has cashed in their coins. What do they do next? This was where my mind was when I showed so little patience. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was anger at the government. Whatever it was, hissy-fits don’t help. But watching a grown man count change for bread just got to me. I will pray God will give him more change, or even a few dollars so he can shop again next week. And I pray he will increase my patience. I know that I need it.