Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Senior Day

elderly-coupleSenior Day.

No, not the day where seniors in government schools tend to ditch take the day off from school.  Rather, the day of each month that Fry's grocery stores give an extra 10% off to people age 55 and older.

I payed a little more attention to this day while my dad was staying with us.  Sorry, Papa, people know you are over 55.  ;)  He went shopping with me on said special day and boy did we rake in some serious savings with the discount plus coupons.  However, is it bad that I use his VIP card now that he is not living with us?  It does help him get some fuel credits. 

More than the savings that my dad affords us on the first Wednesday of each month there are some other advantages... and disadvantages to shopping on Senior Day.

Advantages

  • I think old people are cute.  You can ask my husband.  They just have a way to endear themselves to my heart.

  • The crazy hyper people are not usually there going crazy and speeding down the aisle with no manner... just plain rude.

  • They love to see Little Flower.

  • It seems to be the one Wednesday where the store is fully stocked.

  • It's nice to be able to help people with heavy items sometimes, finding things, or reading the small print.


Disadvantages

  • While the crazies are not speeding down the aisle it's inevitable to get behind someone who walks...well...extremely slow!  Of course, at this point there is no way around either.  Sigh. 

  • Sometimes I have to remind myself of MY manners.

  • The check-out lines are usually full and sometimes moving slow.


One other thing that I noticed is that during Senior Day the baking aisle is usually jammed pack!  On a normal shopping day that aisle is usually my escape route to the other side of the store.  I wonder if it is just a product of a generation that knows what it means to take time to make something rather than microwave everything.  You know, the instant gratification thing.

Besides the savings, I generally enjoy senior day.  I encounter some fascinating people.  I wonder where they have been and what they have experienced... and why they live in Maricopa.  Sometimes the slowness of it all can really frustrate me.  However, it's a good reminder to slow down and enjoy what the Lord has set before me and not to take any of it for granted.