Just a few thoughts as this Memorial Day has come to a close…
I started my day with a quick trip to Walmart. I know; many of you are already thinking, “Walmart? On Memorial Day? Has she lost her mind?” Well, for the sake of brevity, let’s all just assume that I have. So, anyway, I’m walking through the aisles heading toward the macaroni salad stuff and I catch a glimpse of something. I actually walked halfway through the store before what I had seen had a chance to completely register. I walked back to take a second look and there he was, a soldier in full battle fatigues helping a female employee stock the shelves. I know what you cynics are thinking; someone, or better yet, Walmart must be out for a huge publicity stunt. Well, I will tell you this, he was not stocking in the produce section or working in the deli or some other well-known aisle; he was stocking the effin’ bathroom curtain aisle. I’m serious, the curtain aisle. Who the eff shops for curtains on Memorial Day? Exactly no one! I wanted to snap his picture because I was pretty sure no one was going to believe me, but I didn’t. I didn’t want to be THAT person. So I continued on my path to macaroni salad thinking about that soldier and wishing I had taken a few more steps down that curtain aisle to tell him thank you. I feel bad now that I didn’t. I’m not even sure why I didn’t…
Fast forward, if you will, to the macaroni aisle. Here I am again, walking alone and trying to mind my own business when I see a little boy about four years old walk up to a legit Walmart employee stocking the shelf.
“Hello, Mister. Whatcha’ doing?” the kid asks with absolutely zero trepidation.
“Oh Nothin’, just putting some macaroni on the shelves,” the jolly and slightly overweight employee replied (Okay, I’ll admit it, he totally reminded me of Santa).
“Can I have a box?” the little boy asked.
“Sure,” the employee said. “Just make sure Mommy says you can have a box.”
So I watch as he runs over to his mom and asks, “Mommy, may I please have a box?” And yes, he actually said “may.” (I know; it surprised me, too).
“Yes, sweetie; you can have a box,” his mother replied.
I started my day with a quick trip to Walmart. I know; many of you are already thinking, “Walmart? On Memorial Day? Has she lost her mind?” Well, for the sake of brevity, let’s all just assume that I have. So, anyway, I’m walking through the aisles heading toward the macaroni salad stuff and I catch a glimpse of something. I actually walked halfway through the store before what I had seen had a chance to completely register. I walked back to take a second look and there he was, a soldier in full battle fatigues helping a female employee stock the shelves. I know what you cynics are thinking; someone, or better yet, Walmart must be out for a huge publicity stunt. Well, I will tell you this, he was not stocking in the produce section or working in the deli or some other well-known aisle; he was stocking the effin’ bathroom curtain aisle. I’m serious, the curtain aisle. Who the eff shops for curtains on Memorial Day? Exactly no one! I wanted to snap his picture because I was pretty sure no one was going to believe me, but I didn’t. I didn’t want to be THAT person. So I continued on my path to macaroni salad thinking about that soldier and wishing I had taken a few more steps down that curtain aisle to tell him thank you. I feel bad now that I didn’t. I’m not even sure why I didn’t…
Fast forward, if you will, to the macaroni aisle. Here I am again, walking alone and trying to mind my own business when I see a little boy about four years old walk up to a legit Walmart employee stocking the shelf.
“Hello, Mister. Whatcha’ doing?” the kid asks with absolutely zero trepidation.
“Oh Nothin’, just putting some macaroni on the shelves,” the jolly and slightly overweight employee replied (Okay, I’ll admit it, he totally reminded me of Santa).
“Can I have a box?” the little boy asked.
“Sure,” the employee said. “Just make sure Mommy says you can have a box.”
So I watch as he runs over to his mom and asks, “Mommy, may I please have a box?” And yes, he actually said “may.” (I know; it surprised me, too).
“Yes, sweetie; you can have a box,” his mother replied.
Let me just tell you… The gasp that child let out and the
look of excitement on his face mirrored exactly how you or I might react had we
won the lottery. And I’m not talking a
lottery worth a couple million; I’m talking a lottery worth an “I-don’t-ever-have-t-work-another-day-in-my-life” amount of millions, because that’s exactly
what that box meant to that kid in that moment, and life was good. Then, just as quickly, my mind flashed back
to the soldier stocking the aisles halfway across the store, and it clicked; how
many servicemen and women have made the ultimate sacrifice so that this little
boy could have the carefree-freedom to be so excited about a box of macaroni? Yeah, I totally teared up in the middle of the macaroni aisle.
So, my trip to Walmart this morning put a few things into perspective for me this Memorial Day. I was called out by Officer Kibbe to do this Polar Ice challenge, and I was actually going to do it. Granted, I was going to fill a kiddie pool with ice-water in my living room and belly-flop into it, but I was still going to do it. And then it hit me, why am I going to do something I really (let’s face it) do not want to do, in lieu of something I do? So, rather than belly-flop my way out of this challenge, I stroked a check for $100.00 to the Wounded Warrior Project.
The memo line simply read: “In gratitude for macaroni boxes…”
So, my trip to Walmart this morning put a few things into perspective for me this Memorial Day. I was called out by Officer Kibbe to do this Polar Ice challenge, and I was actually going to do it. Granted, I was going to fill a kiddie pool with ice-water in my living room and belly-flop into it, but I was still going to do it. And then it hit me, why am I going to do something I really (let’s face it) do not want to do, in lieu of something I do? So, rather than belly-flop my way out of this challenge, I stroked a check for $100.00 to the Wounded Warrior Project.
The memo line simply read: “In gratitude for macaroni boxes…”
Anyone interested in donating to the Wounded Warrior Project can visit:
