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We went to Aldi this weekend to stock up on some (cheap) groceries.  I love their prices because when you have 5 mouths to feed (2 of which are growing boys lol), it can get REALLY expensive.  Saturday was the ninth, which means the end of the Food Stamp cycle for the month.  That means that the remainder of the folks who haven’t gotten their food stamps are out in great numbers.  (Now, I’m not here to knock food stamps, I’m just pointing out why there were so many people there.)

The aisles in Aldi are pretty small, so when there are a lot of people, getting through the aisles can be a bit of a chore, then add in all the employees stocking items that are getting low from the rush of people in the store, and it’s utter chaos!  We were standing at the canned goods picking out which veggies and fruits to pick, where there were probably 10 people standing doing the same.  We always get the same stuff (corn, green beans, peas, pears, and peaches usually), and had all that we needed.  We were also pushing two carts.  One for the boys, and one for the groceries.  I started to go when a couple decided to walk out in front of my cart without turning around or even acknowledging that there were more people in the store than just themselves arguing back and forth about only God knows what.  I’m not a great crowd person, so I rolled my eyes and said “You know, not that you needed to say EXCUSE ME or look where you’re GOING or anything!” pretty loudly.  They ignored me of course, so I attempted to make my way out of the crowd again, and AGAIN people did the same thing!  At this point, I’m pretty hot under the collar, but after that, I finally got out.

As we went up the next aisle, another couple decided I must have been walking to slow, and rammed into me without an “excuse me” or a “sorry” to be heard.  Most of the people who read this blog, know that I have a horrible temper.  It took everything inside of me to not start screaming at these people.  I understand it’s a grocery store, I understand it’s crowded, but is simple common courtesy dead?  Does no one watch where they’re going?  Do people not know the words “Excuse me” or “I’m sorry” anymore?

“Respect was invented to cover the empty place where love should be.”
― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

I was raised to always be polite, and to use those very words when I did something wrong, and I’m programmed to do them each and every time, but when people can’t show me the same respect, I get a little angry.  Even when I’m having a horrible day, if there’s an elderly person (or couple) behind me, or even a couple (or mom) with small children, I let them go in front of me, I always say hello, or whatever because it’s just the way I was raised.  (Thank you, Mom!).   Even these common courtesies are sometimes met with foul comments back to me which sometimes makes me wish I had been one of the “mean” people.

I guess you could say that with my temper and I did yell once or twice that I was a bit mean, but I also didn’t grab them by their collars and tell them to mind themselves either lol!  You see people walking down aisles on their cell phones just talking to Joe Schmo from down the street about whatever, going pokily along, people with their carts in the middle of the crowded aisle while they peruse the nearest freezer, children running around playing on displays with no parents in sight, the list goes on.  My boys are always in our cart, and unless I need Sierra (who’s ten) to go get something I missed, she’s always by my side.  I’m also not perfect, but I try to do my level best to make sure that my children and myself are out of people’s way, paying attention to how much space is between us and the next person, and to go quickly as possible, and if that’s NOT possible, then to have my cart as close to the wall as I can so people can get through.

David was also getting upset as we shopped and quipped “Maybe they should have a People of Aldi instead of People of Walmart.”  I giggled and agreed, but you can’t take pictures of rude people and get the same responses as when you’re posting a picture of a man dressed as a lady buying condoms or whatever.

I guess the point of this rambling post is, PLEASE pay attention in the store.  I’m not one of those people who think that your children should be quiet, not throwing tantrums, and all of that, I just want a little respect.  If you bump into someone, take two seconds to say you’re sorry.  If you’re on your phone, stop (pulling your cart out of the way lol), and chat out of the way of customers for a moment, or call them back when you’re done shopping.  Even these two simple things can help someone not want to kick you in the pants when they’re having a bad day!  Smile at people, say hello, and let the little old lady with five items in her cart go ahead of you.  It does take a minute, but that lady probably did the same thing a hundred times when she was your age, and if she didn’t, you probably made her day anyway.

Courtesy At the Grocery Store – goo.gl/NxTP6 via @fiveinohio

— Melody Boals (@FiveInOhio) June 11, 2012

-Mommy Rantin!