Sad but true. What do our enemies abroad think of us? What sorts of images come to their and our minds? Big box stores where all of us overweight people park our overweight vehicles and waddle up to the automatic BIG doors and grasp a hold of the ubiquitous shopping cart. Testing it’s alignment and pushing it through to where we need to go to fill it up.

I find gazing at things and parking the cart out of the way to to allow room to fellow shoppers. It feels right and is grace to them. (I do like the early morning empty car lot pleasant and park at row 7. close in.)

The freeway isles of the Big Box are tricky and heads up when you swing around the corners! Speed is of the essence and yielding has to be done way ahead of time. I like to take my time, just like I drive my car. Observant and switching lanes when it seems prudent for traffic flow.

Watch out for the speeders! The parking lot can be dangerous as anxiety takes a hold and a 15 mile and hour speed is pretty fast. On or off the road, speed limits are to be interpreted in our favor and the cops are far and few. Again, this goes for any vehicle. Car, truck or cart. The staff move even faster as they know where to go, sometimes and they have huge carts. They shop for drive through lazy boys and park their huge carts in aisles that you need to navigate. Oh, and watch out for the fruit squeezers, they take their time with alacrity and park right where you need to be. Park next to the keto display and you will be out of their way.

Looking with disdain upon the box food in the baking aisle, I search for my list elsewhere. The unsweetened and organic chocolate require patience but again, the shelves are full. I try to escape from the on sale bakery goods that are usually sold out or down to the boxes with a dozen or more within them. That will not do as I cannot eat them all before coming home. The evidence of my clothing and the mess would give me away.

I would also be fat and running with my treasures. A plain cake doughnut and some yogurt will suffice for a snack I can easily eat in the parking lot as I wait for the rush to park to subside somewhat.

To be disgusted or empathetic is my decision and these emotive responses are my hearts response. I can decide to call employees by the name tags I surreptitiously see. My choice of seeing all of creation as fascinating and wonderful or to be the judge of people by my selfish heart. Life or death, Choose now. Jack Gator With thanks to C.S. lewis’ ‘Men without Chests’