Grocery Store Experience

This is my blog and damnit I'm gonna do some scratching. I was at the grocery store this weekend, purchasing non-refridgeration items for meals this week. The store was busy, it was sunday. I zipped through collecting grub items and then got in line for the cashier. I normally don't mind waiting in line because it's a great opportunity to observe people when, in my opinion they're at their funniest. Just take a peek at your fellow shoppers when you're perusing the aisles-it's a riot. Anyway, I was standing behind a woman with a small child, not a problem I like children but I don't want any of my own. This woman unloads a monsterous amount of food onto the belt, I'm rather surprised that one household can consume that much food but hey-it takes all kinds and that's all right. I watch her present her WIC coupon book (the federal govt food stamp-like program). I'm unphased by this because after my parents divorced my mother was forced to apply for govt assistance. My father refused to pay child support and it's tough to support three kids, pay for a house and buy food on two waitressing jobs. I think it's a good program and I am thankful that it's in place. HOWEVER... what torqued me off was she pulled out roughly $25 worth of luncheon meat (sliced fresh from the deli) and said "I don't want this." Not only are MY tax dollars going toward her grocery bill, she has the unmitigated gall to waste $25 of meat-the store can't resell it and has to throw it away. I know hard times. I have survived on rice, potatoes and Ramen noodles but I am truly appalled that one- this ignorant (and I mean that in the truest sense of the word) woman and her off spring are getting free food; two-that she is wasting the free food that she's been given; and three-have we become so entrenched in disposable society values that this kind of behaviour is acceptable? She turned to me and giggled. I wanted to smack her upside the head and ask her, "If you didn't want the meat, why, for the love of God did you take the time to stand in line at the Deli counter and waste the counter folks time by ordering so much meat and cheese and then toss it away?"

I know that I should just let it go, it's none of my business-but you see I can't. I think what bothers me is that I know what it's like to be poor and it makes me sick to think that this woman has been given a gift of food and she's pissing it away. What a waste of sperm and egg to continue to propigate people who can't see beyond the end of their own noses. Selfish, selfish, selfish people