Dear Mrs. A – July
Dear Mrs. A,
Is it true that you can tell a lot about a neighborhood by visiting the local grocery store?
– Curious in Castle Pines
What a wonderful question, and yes. The local grocery store provides a lot of clues about the surrounding population. You can observe the diversity of products; this might be a clue to the cultural diversity of the population. Quality and price range can reflect the economic status of the residents. Observing the shoppers can give you a sense of the demographic makeup including age, ethnicity and family size. Store cleanliness can signal the level of investment in the community. Local brands and products can indicate a strong community identity and support for local businesses.
And while we’re on this subject, can we just take a minute to remind ourselves to be considerate when shopping, as well as being efficient.
Remember driving a grocery cart can be like driving a car, in the sense that both require steering, navigating through obstacles, and paying attention to surroundings.
Stay to the right, just like driving, stay to the right to allow others to pass.
Keep aisles clear, don’t leave your cart in the middle of the aisle. Park it to the side.
Return carts from the parking lot to the store.
Be patient, if someone is in your way or taking time to choose an item, wait for them.
And finally, we all get in a hurry from time to time. The express lane is designed to help with this, so respect the item limit and use regular checkout lanes if you exceed the number of items.
How we behave in public is a reflection of our values. Let’s commit to being kind to one another and reflect it in our everyday lives.
Big Love, Mrs. A
