We live in a microwave society. Put the food in the oven, press the button and presto. However, most do not have the patience to wait for the extra long minute to warm up a cup of coffee. I’ve seen the anxiety dance in front of the microwave. This annoyance can pose a problem when I’m overwhelmed by the choices I must make while shopping. But first let me clarify. I’m not a person who loves to shop. I make weekly trips for groceries and supplies but as for driving to Pensacola to shop at a mall it may be once a year I darken the door by choice. I’m a ‘shop local’ girl and I thoroughly enjoy visiting with my favorite shop owners. Chatting to catch up with how things are going is the best part of shopping.
Shopping at grocery stores can be intimidating for me when I have to buy a different brand than my own. If the store is out of my typical peanut butter it causes my brain to whirl. Which one should I choose? Skippy or Jif? Natural or organic? I’m a Peter Pan lover.
It’s the same with ice cream flavors. Walking into a shop filled with different brands of creamy, cold delights in glassed freezers can be a difficult process. While I hold a taste for a certain peanut butter alone, I have not a favorite ice cream flavor I hold dear. It comes with a mood. Does it feel like a thick and rich day or a light and fluffy? How about a shake or a sundae? These choices make me stare endlessly at the menu board while I’m pressed by the teenager behind the counter, tapping their fingers on the counter waiting. I also have this issue when buying flowers for my garden in the front yard. I walk into the feed and seed with marigolds in mind. I find they’re out of marigolds. How about zinnias? Gerber daisies? Lantana? At the coffee shop it’s the same: tall or Grande, fat or skinny, caramel or cinnamon on top? So, I stand and stare. In today’s world this simply must not do. While we live in certain abundance, our society lacks patience for decision making. People standing in line behind you in a store have no patience for waiting for someone to write a check or count out coins for payment. It’s swipe the card and move on. Don’t even take the time to put the card back in your wallet, but hey, have a nice day.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: The pressing choices of a shopper