Senior Citizens Day at Kroger's

The first Wednesday in each month, there is a 10% discount for senior citizens at our local Kroger's. If you have not experienced first Wednesday, you don’t know what crazy is.

The parking lot is so full that you have a healthy walk just going in. Since Harrisburg's store is flooded out, there were even more people than usual today competing for parking. Although I seldom see anyone I know at the grocery store, I always see three or four folks I know on this day. I met a nearby neighbor I had not seen in years as I was going inside.

I had to laugh at one friend I had also seen last month. A former professional who is now retired, she said, “I don’t know why I do this to myself each month.” Then she told a funny story about waiting for a parking space only to have an old codger whip right in front of her and take it away from her. With all the aches and pains and toughness from years of living, you can get bumped quite easily in the crowded aisles filled with people with oxygen, canes, and wheelchairs.

I heard two other short women commenting on how impossible it is at this store to get items off the top shelf. Since there is rarely a clerk available in a modern grocery, I have stretched, used the bottom shelf as a step, asked strange men to obtain an item from the top shelf, and sometimes just given up on something I needed. Somehow it was comforting to me today to hear the other women expressing their dismay at this problem. I guess misery does love company.

Bumping into my sister-in-law Opal, was a pleasant addition to my shopping experience. She was there buying birthday cards for her daughter Kyna and granddaughter Jinna. She said she had to park so far away in order to come into the store, she debated going on home and coming back. However, with the price of gas what it is, she decided she’d come on in even if she did have to park on the outer rim of the parking lot. I am glad she did because I was glad to see her.

I had spent the morning getting a perm for our upcoming weekend trip, and I ran by my daughter’s house after leaving the store. By mid-afternoon, I was home and put half my groceries away. The rest can wait until tomorrow.