Life as a Frog
This morning, I made a rather routine stop at the neighborhood Walmart here in Honolulu. I must say up front that I normally despise this Walmart. I can't speak for the other ones out there, and like everyone, I have been to many during my lifetime. But for my money, none of them even comes close to the chaotic, everybody-in-your-face, walk-right-on-top-of-each-otherness of this particular Wally World. No matter what time of day or night, the place is a mob scene.
Once I even had a (literal) panic attack while lost somewhere in the far right corner of the store, between the camping gear and automotive. To this day, I still have no idea how I ended up back there. That horrific visit ended with me making a desperate phone call to a friend ("Renee, I am trapped in Walmart, it is mass chaos, and I'm losing it!") and then bolting for the exit, vowing never to return again.
The boycott lasted all of a few days, if I remember correctly.
This morning I decided to brave the crowds before work and stop at the discount giant to get a couple of items. I needed these things (vitamins and lotion) and besides, some freakish part of me wondered what Walmart would be like at 10am on a Thursday. Would I find a kinder, gentler atmosphere during the morning hours?
Since accepting a supervisor position at Starbucks a few weeks ago, I have regained the luxury of sleeping in on certain mornings, as I no longer have to be at work at 6am every single day. I now get to work a couple of afternoons every week, and this has allowed me to observe what happens outside of a Starbucks store during the weekday mid-morning hours. Hello again, 6-10am, so nice to see you! It's like I forgot those hours even existed or something, I have worked through them so often over the years.
While regaining those lost hours of my day, I also recognize that I have given up some others in the tradeoff. So far, no problem. This change of pace has been like a breath of fresh air. It kind of reminds me of staying home sick from school as a youngster. I would finally get to watch the daytime television shows I wouldn't normally see because I was at school. For me, watching "The Price Is Right" while all of my friends were in school learning algebra was almost worth the trips to vomit or blow my nose in between pricing games.
What can I say? Getting out of a tired routine and changing things up a bit has always been a thrill for me.
Anyways, back to Walmart. This morning I entered the store feeling rested, eyes wide open. I had my morning coffee (at home no less) and after a nine-hour slumber, I was ready for action. Sure, the place was crowded. Isn't it always crowded? I was quick and exact in snatching my items.
Throngs of shoppers bobbed and weaved all over the aisles, leaving me to feel a bit like I was in a Frogger video game. Remember that arcade classic? You are the Frogger, weaving in and out of oncoming traffic. Don't get hit by the cars! Pay attention! Go left, go right! In my live-action scenario, shopping carts replaced the vehicles, and I was able to successfully side-step all of my would-be assassins on the way to get the goods. No collisions. Total success.
If this was the actual video game, I would have emerged unscathed and racked up a ton of points. In true 80's arcade fashion, I probably would have gotten to enter my initials at the end, too.
Frogger Champion. PSS. 8/11/11 10:15am.
While darting around the store, I also noticed my reactions to the normal hustle and bustle around me. It was as if I was doing play-by-play in my head, but without any emotional connection to most of it. I was observing things with a fairly even keel. Here comes screaming baby, breaking the sound barrier. There goes flip-flop shuffler, cutting me off with his cart on aisle three. Oh look, that woman almost hit me with her case of bottled water and never even looked up to say excuse me. Yes, it was business as usual at the Honolulu Wally World. Amazingly, I stayed completely centered. None of it rattled me.
By the time I got to the cashier, I was feeling quite pleasant. Cheerful, in fact. The woman behind the counter greeted me with a smile. I smiled back. She thanked me, I echoed the sentiment, and on I went. It was a rather wonderful exchange (given the venue), and I walked out of Walmart feeling supremely satisfied.
A few points to consider here. First, had I really been in that much of a rut before accepting this new/old position? Man, I never even realized it had come to that. Yet I make a minor change to my work schedule, take a small step back up the chain that I swore I would never make, and it is paying dividends in more ways than just financially. I have alot more energy. I'm enjoying some new routines. Things have freshened up a little bit. I guess this is why I immediately said 'yes' when asked to be a supervisor again. I must have known inside that a change, any change, would do me good.
And what about me saying I would never go back to Walmart after that panic attack, and never hold any position at Starbucks again besides the barista job that had become so comfortable over the years (perhaps even a little too cozy)? Well, I suppose I am learning never to say never. To anything, really. Life can, and does, change on a dime. I must be willing to see things through fresh eyes. This is a lesson I can probably never learn enough. Constant re-evaluation is necessary, if not crucial, if a life filled with joy is to be mine.
I can make wise choices. I can see things clearly. I can approach each day with a good attitude. And truthfully, none of this should ever be dependent upon how many of hours of sleep I get. It is only a number, after all. Its not really the amount of rest that matters, though I will freely admit that larger amounts do seem to help (alot) at times. I also admit that I occasionally like to use "I'm tired" as an excuse to be miserable, to see the worst in myself and in the world. I don't know why I do it, but I still do it from time to time.
Taking away that excuse left me with no reason to be a grump. At least not today.
Tired or not, everyday life doesn't have to be like Frogger. I can always get out of the way of oncoming traffic/people/attitudes, because I am the one in control. Sometimes this is hard to remember. Very hard, in fact. But it is always worth keeping in mind, whether at Walmart or anywhere else.
As long as I know that I am the one determining how I experience a given situation, I inevitably emerge the winner. It may not happen every day, but for the moments when it does (like today's shopping excursion), I will certainly be grateful.
Congratulations, Paul. Go ahead. Leave your initials.
Frogger Wally World Champion. PSS. 8/11/11. 10:15am.
Once I even had a (literal) panic attack while lost somewhere in the far right corner of the store, between the camping gear and automotive. To this day, I still have no idea how I ended up back there. That horrific visit ended with me making a desperate phone call to a friend ("Renee, I am trapped in Walmart, it is mass chaos, and I'm losing it!") and then bolting for the exit, vowing never to return again.
The boycott lasted all of a few days, if I remember correctly.
This morning I decided to brave the crowds before work and stop at the discount giant to get a couple of items. I needed these things (vitamins and lotion) and besides, some freakish part of me wondered what Walmart would be like at 10am on a Thursday. Would I find a kinder, gentler atmosphere during the morning hours?
Since accepting a supervisor position at Starbucks a few weeks ago, I have regained the luxury of sleeping in on certain mornings, as I no longer have to be at work at 6am every single day. I now get to work a couple of afternoons every week, and this has allowed me to observe what happens outside of a Starbucks store during the weekday mid-morning hours. Hello again, 6-10am, so nice to see you! It's like I forgot those hours even existed or something, I have worked through them so often over the years.
While regaining those lost hours of my day, I also recognize that I have given up some others in the tradeoff. So far, no problem. This change of pace has been like a breath of fresh air. It kind of reminds me of staying home sick from school as a youngster. I would finally get to watch the daytime television shows I wouldn't normally see because I was at school. For me, watching "The Price Is Right" while all of my friends were in school learning algebra was almost worth the trips to vomit or blow my nose in between pricing games.
What can I say? Getting out of a tired routine and changing things up a bit has always been a thrill for me.
Anyways, back to Walmart. This morning I entered the store feeling rested, eyes wide open. I had my morning coffee (at home no less) and after a nine-hour slumber, I was ready for action. Sure, the place was crowded. Isn't it always crowded? I was quick and exact in snatching my items.
Throngs of shoppers bobbed and weaved all over the aisles, leaving me to feel a bit like I was in a Frogger video game. Remember that arcade classic? You are the Frogger, weaving in and out of oncoming traffic. Don't get hit by the cars! Pay attention! Go left, go right! In my live-action scenario, shopping carts replaced the vehicles, and I was able to successfully side-step all of my would-be assassins on the way to get the goods. No collisions. Total success.
If this was the actual video game, I would have emerged unscathed and racked up a ton of points. In true 80's arcade fashion, I probably would have gotten to enter my initials at the end, too.
Frogger Champion. PSS. 8/11/11 10:15am.
While darting around the store, I also noticed my reactions to the normal hustle and bustle around me. It was as if I was doing play-by-play in my head, but without any emotional connection to most of it. I was observing things with a fairly even keel. Here comes screaming baby, breaking the sound barrier. There goes flip-flop shuffler, cutting me off with his cart on aisle three. Oh look, that woman almost hit me with her case of bottled water and never even looked up to say excuse me. Yes, it was business as usual at the Honolulu Wally World. Amazingly, I stayed completely centered. None of it rattled me.
By the time I got to the cashier, I was feeling quite pleasant. Cheerful, in fact. The woman behind the counter greeted me with a smile. I smiled back. She thanked me, I echoed the sentiment, and on I went. It was a rather wonderful exchange (given the venue), and I walked out of Walmart feeling supremely satisfied.
A few points to consider here. First, had I really been in that much of a rut before accepting this new/old position? Man, I never even realized it had come to that. Yet I make a minor change to my work schedule, take a small step back up the chain that I swore I would never make, and it is paying dividends in more ways than just financially. I have alot more energy. I'm enjoying some new routines. Things have freshened up a little bit. I guess this is why I immediately said 'yes' when asked to be a supervisor again. I must have known inside that a change, any change, would do me good.
And what about me saying I would never go back to Walmart after that panic attack, and never hold any position at Starbucks again besides the barista job that had become so comfortable over the years (perhaps even a little too cozy)? Well, I suppose I am learning never to say never. To anything, really. Life can, and does, change on a dime. I must be willing to see things through fresh eyes. This is a lesson I can probably never learn enough. Constant re-evaluation is necessary, if not crucial, if a life filled with joy is to be mine.
I can make wise choices. I can see things clearly. I can approach each day with a good attitude. And truthfully, none of this should ever be dependent upon how many of hours of sleep I get. It is only a number, after all. Its not really the amount of rest that matters, though I will freely admit that larger amounts do seem to help (alot) at times. I also admit that I occasionally like to use "I'm tired" as an excuse to be miserable, to see the worst in myself and in the world. I don't know why I do it, but I still do it from time to time.
Taking away that excuse left me with no reason to be a grump. At least not today.
Tired or not, everyday life doesn't have to be like Frogger. I can always get out of the way of oncoming traffic/people/attitudes, because I am the one in control. Sometimes this is hard to remember. Very hard, in fact. But it is always worth keeping in mind, whether at Walmart or anywhere else.
As long as I know that I am the one determining how I experience a given situation, I inevitably emerge the winner. It may not happen every day, but for the moments when it does (like today's shopping excursion), I will certainly be grateful.
Congratulations, Paul. Go ahead. Leave your initials.
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