Built to Last

Last Friday I was at Wal-Mart, dodging the go-cart people and feeling as if I was on the set of a live-action remake of Wall-E, on my way to the bedding department for a dust-mite cover for a new pillow. 

I get my pillow protector and get in line.

The woman in front of me has only a few items, one of which is a cast-iron skillet.

The cashier rings her up, bags everything but the skillet, then turns to the woman and says that it wouldn't make sense to put the skillet in a bag because the bag would break.

She offered up double bagging the skillet but even then she was dubious about the bags holding up.

The customer paused. She pondered these choices for a long time.

The cashier offered to put a sticker on the skillet - one that would say, "sold."

"No one will question you," she assured the woman. I felt that the cashier was sincerely pushing for the no-bag option.

Still the woman hesitated.

Finally she said, "I would feel more comfortable with a bag."

So the cashier bagged the skillet and told the woman to carry the skillet by its handle not by the bag's handle, which she did.

More comfortable? Really? "I'd be more comfortable putting my purchase in this toxic piece of non-biodegradable plastic." Really?

And I know I'll never reach a state of inner enlightenment if I can't stop judging people all the time but please - help me out here - if you don't want to be judged - don't take the unnecessary plastic bag! Don't do it. Just say no. 

I suppose it could have been worse. She could have been buying a Teflon frying pan.

song: Built to Last • artist: Grateful Dead