Nobody Reads This Page – “Shopping Stop”

 

c.2024 Rod Ice

All rights reserved

(6-24)

 

 

A recent Friday morning found me getting mobile at an early hour, to honor an annual appointment with my cardiologist in Chardon. I had no worries over the visit, but realized that it would put me at a spot conveniently close to the dominant grocer in that population hub. And I needed to buy a few things that were available only from a mainline supermarket. Items never found at the smaller, rural stores that I normally patronize, for their friendly service and easy-to-navigate footprint.

 

After finishing my assessment, and receiving a virtual gold star for good health, I drove one block east, to Giant Eagle. The food emporium was not quite so busy as usual, because I had arrived long before noon. I found an Amigo electric cart, and headed inside from the lobby to begin gathering items on my list. First up were salad ingredients from the green rack. Their selection of fresh produce varieties was impeccable, as always. Then, I wandered through the meat section, center-store grocery, and finally ended up in the dairy department. Their last row of refrigerated cases was situated on the far side of that location. I needed sour cream and butter, so this was the aisle I chose before turning back toward the front registers.

 

Maneuvering the Amigo used to be something that presented a challenge during pauses at such large purveyors of edible goods. Yet after several years of physical disability, I had gained enough experience to roam freely with no fear of knocking over displays or running into walls or shelving. But as I approached the door case for butter, I noted that an employee was stocking margarine out of a standard bascart. Her facial expression betrayed a bit of unfamiliarity with this simple operation. So, she moved slowly and deliberately. When a package of the vegetable spread fell to the floor, she reacted with a childlike comment.

 

“Uh... ohhh!”

 

I nodded and rocked gently in my wheeled seat. Her expression had the innocent tone of someone from the MR/DD community. This gave me a feeling of satisfaction in knowing that I would be spending money where such individuals were included with respect. She had longish hair, hued in a dark shade of brown. Her build was somewhat stocky, but she seemed to be quite agile. Though I noted that flashes of confusion and joy passed over her face alternately, while working. She left the slot for that particular item half empty.

 

But before she could move on to load other products, a co-worker appeared to provide help. He was tall and young, with a patient demeanor and confident eyes.

 

“It’s okay that you dropped the margarine, but aren’t you going to finish?”

 

The puzzled woman shook her head and shrugged while smiling.

 

“It’s full!”

 

Her associate frowned a bit, and signaled quiet disagreement.

 

“No, it’s actually not. Look again! The whole case will go up! See what I mean?”

 

His sales-floor student seemed to be honestly amazed. She watched in awe as he finished filling the refrigerated section. Then, both of them walked to a part of the line further down that aisle. Finally, I was able to reach for a pound of butter. An affordable offering distributed under their house label, which I had been spying for a couple of minutes.

 

While in a checkout lane on the front end, minutes afterward, I was greeted by a friend from bygone days who worked for the business. When I mentioned this encounter, she confirmed that the company had engaged in a program of DEI – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, so to speak. I marveled at how ‘ableism’ was being combatted, and gave the plan my endorsement as a customer.

 

Yet while driving home with the stash of goodies, old memories from my own retail career began to resurface. Echoes of a time when store crews were not gifted with so much leeway, or courtesy, bounced around in my head.

 

I remembered working for Rini-Rego Stop-n-Shop as a union laborer. Rough language and hard conditions were the norm in those yonder days. We were not coddled or allowed to make excuses of any kind. Managers in charge had climbed through the ranks under an ownership regime dedicated to being competitive in a vibrant marketplace. Excellence was our mission, at any cost. So, our buildings were run like military encampments. Regimented, organized, and disciplined. Grievances were filed by our bargaining agent, the UFCW, when necessary. But most often, disputes were settled face-to-face. We were not choirboys. Fists would often pound the desks of our bosses. And sometimes, the walls of our back rooms when anger bubbled over. But the bottom line remained intact. We served our patrons, and turned a profit for the leadership in Cleveland.

 

I recalled once finding a handwritten note upon arriving for my overnight shift, at #425 on Water Street, in Geauga County.

 

“EVERYTHING MUST BE DONE, 100%! WRITE-UPS WILL FOLLOW, IF YOU DON’T FINISH YOUR WORK! AND REMEMBER, THERE IS NO OVERTIME ALLOWED! YOU WILL BUST ASS!”

 

I was very accustomed to being treated like an Army recruit. Literally, as a mule pulling the wagon for my masters. It earned me a paycheck, and supported the needs of my family. I was grateful to have a job. But when I accepted a promotion to salaried management, that period of service from my resume provided a baseline for how to bring change to the industry. And the inspiration to make it possible.

 

I knew that we could all do better. And that finding opportunities for improvement would pay dividends with our customers, in the end. Loyalty and goodwill dependably translate into revenue that is the lifeblood of any business. I believed in that principle with all of my heart.

 

Now, in a more modern age, I saw that things had truly changed. A brighter reality I beheld from the vantage point of a retiree meandering around the aisles, while lost in reflection. In an earlier time, someone like the special-needs employee I had encountered might never have been privileged to wait on customers, or to participate in keeping their favorite goods available. But now, there was room at the table for everyone.

 

Mankind has evolved notably, from living in caves and hunting wild game, to the current dazzle of technical sophistication that is pushing limits long thought to be set in stone. Certainly, we are better as a people for our rise to the top of this curve. It is something to be embraced, and celebrated by everyone.

 

And we have yet to reach out to the stars!