Big box stores are not my thing. Neither are acres of parking lots, or groceries and everything combined. I don’t like the way the stores feel – full of anxiety and need, some of them (Kroger’s) feel often full of anger and neglect. The people walking through with the carts often look blank, just empty. These kinds of stores often feel just like casinos to me, and I cannot stay in a casino for more than a few minutes. Shopping malls feel the same, but are less intense. I’ve been known to stay in a mall for half an hour.
That said, since going years ago with Gemini twin Carolyn, I go to Meijers once a year to buy most of the dried fruits and some of the organic flour and sugar I use to make my Christmas bread. And so I was there this morning, just wandering around and being amazed.
Found Truvia, a non-bitter form of natural sweetener stevia. Bought it for my friends who use artificial sweeteners, which are so not good for you I almost cannot speak rationally about them. I’m expecting it to live up to its billing, and taste actually good.
Didn’t look for or find much else. Felt like it would be a 2 hour trek to find Christmas paper plates and napkins. I’m sure I can find them more easily in a more fun place sometime soon.
But it was good to do my annual check up on the culture of big box stores – finding more people checking themselves out, but not much else that’s different or healthy.