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December 15, 2007
clear eyes full carts can't lose
i don't know how you feel about the films of kevin costner - he's never been a particularly engaging actor. his line delivery has always been somewhat hackey - except of course during his should have been nominated perfomance in robin hood prince of thieves. i left the theater thinking he might have actually been british. regardless of kevin's various cinematic crimes (waterworld, the postman, 3000 miles to graceland et. al.) alot of adult males find themselves sucked in by field of dreams. i haven't shed a single tear since the summer of 1989 but every time i watch that film my throat gets a little bit lumpy and i immediately call up my father and ask him if he wants to have a game of catch...actually that's not true. i don't even have a baseball glove. or my dad's phone number. but still....i love the scene at the end of the movie where the camera pans out over the cornfields and you see the blinking headlights winding their way toward heaven as darth vader voice overs emotively.
i felt like i was a participant in that final scene on wednesday night as i made my way out east brainerd road to our brand new chattanooga area publix. it helps the metaphor that east brainerd narrows to two lanes for the last mile or so. and you might not think the grand opening of a new grocery store would be all that big of a deal. but you would be wrong. mostly because publix isn't just another grocery store. and it's ambient lights sang out in the dark night like a gleaming jewel in a vast wasteland of bi-lo's and wal-marts. because prior to last wednesday those were pretty much the only options for grocery shopping in this town. we also have food lion but i don't want to know anyone who shops there.
when i finally got into the parking lot and found a parking space i was first-date giddy as i stepped out of the car. for a moment i even contemplated kissing the ground. and seriously y'all the parking lot was packed. and there was a line of people waiting at the front of the store...so i thought maybe there was some kind of raffle going on for a life time supply of boars head meat, but that was not the case. these folks were waiting in line for shopping carts! the store was packed with people. shopping and not shopping and generally taking in the smell of fresh produce. because i'm here to tell you that's not a common smell in these parts. bi-lo smells like warmed over seafood that's been sitting in an unflushed toilet for about a week and wal-mart...well wal-mart just smells like fat.
anyway - the place was too packed to get any grocery shopping done on wednesday so i went back last nite. and it was still ridiculously busy but i loaded my cart with one hand even as i wiped away tears of joy with my other. and it's true i had to give the lady in the deli pointers on how to make my sub but she was very nice and it was her only her 3rd day so i really didn't mind. and then with sub in hand and the shopping cart bursting at the seams i proceeded to the checkout line.
and as i unloaded my groceries - i overheard the woman in front of me asking the fresh faced cashier if publix had any kind of a bonus card. and the girl simply replied that publix does not use a bonus card they believe all their customers should get the same discount. and seriously, i could have kissed her - the cashier not the ignorant woman. because you really don't want to get me started on those damned bonus cards. i believe bonus cards to be directly responsible for global warming....among other things.
so all that to say - i'm pretty excited that publix has finally arrived. even though it's a 30 mile round trip for not so young christopher i will not be shy about frequenting the place. because the more business publix does the more likely they are to open up more stores in the area...and holy crap! i've got to go get in line for wilco tickets! who's going with me?
| By young_christopher | 9:49 AM
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Posted by: No Man Is an Island at December 15, 2007 9:58 AM