My in-laws live in a very small Indiana town. To get anything at all you must run the fifteen miles to the closest “big town” which has a Wal-Mart. This is as good as shopping gets in their neck of the woods.
Amy and I headed to Wal-Mart to pick up a few toiletries and what-not that we had not bothered to pack up and take with us to Indiana. Rural Indiana is not the best place to find wonderful American culture. I was quickly reminded of what many foreigners think about us. Mainly that we are fat, lazy, loud and obnoxious. There was plenty of each category on display for us at Wally-world.
While returning a few items that Amy’s mother had purchased her, I overheard a conversation between two ladies. When asked how she was doing, one lady replied that she was on disability now. As if this somehow answered the question. Her tone of voice suggested that she had been waiting her whole life to be on disability and that managing to qualify for this program constituted some great achievement.
Items securely purchased, we headed out of the store and home. As we were exiting a lady and what I presume to be her son were confused as to which doors were the exits and which were the doors to enter. In fact, all doors were suited for both entry and exiting the building. They proceeded to walk out one set of doors, as another lady was entering through the same. In conversation with her son over which doors were which, the confused mother noted that this other lady was walking in the wrong door.
Overhearing the accusation, this lady decided to loudly proclaim that she was sorry, and that confused mom should “get over it.”
Confused Mom decided this was a suggestion filled with rudeness and decided to properly use etiquette by screaming, “You stupid B**tch!”
Home sweet home, as they say.
themidnightcafe.org 
Wally World!
Ugh. I live like half a mile away from one now and I still hate going there.
Are they that bad, if they are i feel for you.I think i remember hearing you can buy firearms and ammunition from them is that true ? As a British guy it just sounds insane, but obviously very different over there.
They are huge stores that sell just about everything – groceries, household goods, medicines, car tires, plants, shoes, and yes even guns. I think you can buy pistols and shotguns there. I don’t really know, I’m not a gun person, but they definitely sell them, but I don’t think you can buy the heavy duty stuff there.
They are everywhere in America. They come into smallish towns and basically undercut all the mom-and-pop stores so that they go under. I’ve always heard their labor practices weren’t good, and they pay very low wages. I read somewhere that the majority of their workers are still on some kind of aid programs because they don’t pay anything close to a living wage. So basically your average, giant American corporation.
They are also crowded and filled with annoying people. I hate shopping in general, but Wal-Mart is especially obnoxious.
I still do shop there some because they are convenient and their prices are low and they have everything. But it is always an annoying experience.
I’m with you there, convenience can be great, but you never get that real nice pleasant and personal experience. If i buy books which i have not been able to for a long time, due to my depression and fatigue affecting my concentration, but if i do order them i make sure i go to the one that’s been my favourite independent bookshop since a teenager. The same owners, and i just like to peruse occasionally just for the experience. Seeing the same staff, it’s so different than just mass-market stores where they do their best, but you can’t beat that personal connection. I think the world has grown too big, i realise i am part of the problem as i am a consumer too. Yet there are people who have four kids etc, who still want more. I just don’t understand it, maybe some folk can ignore the impact, but it’s getting harder to these days.
I love a cozy bookstore. There is a place in Tulsa that I love. They basically own most of an old strip mall and have it filled with books, music, comics and movies. Mostly books though. It is one of those places you can get lost in for hours. I love it. And they hire lots of cool people who love all that stuff.
We are building a house for some people right now and I had to find out what kind of appliances they were buying so that I could order the natural gas line. Their oven, just their oven, costs $15,000! I think you could combine every piece of furniture I own – appliances, beds, dressers, couches, and it still wouldn’t total $15,000. I couldn’t believe it.
The bookstores in Tulsa sounds excellent, it’s such a difference if people are passionate about what they do too. $15,000 for an oven i think to any regular person is just ridiculous. Status really does matter more to some than others. Don’t get me wrong it’s their money, but the things you could do with that money, and that oven will still do one thing..cook!
Haha! The only thing better than your description would be photos to accompany. Oy!
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