Not THE ONES
During COVID it was important to grocery shop quickly, finding the alternative to your preferred food or even toilet paper.
A part of my grocery store trip the other day included my conversation with an older gentleman in the cookie aisle. He, standing on one side of the aisle, was scanning the shelves to find the alternative to his usual ginger cookie selection.
As I approached, careful to maintain the social distance, I half commented, half asked him if they did not have what he was looking for.
He responded that no, they did not, as he didn’t see a specific brand of ginger snap cookies. I felt for his plight as I looked around at the empty shelves. It was getting harder to find what I preferred too.
Finding the Alternative
Now, as a connoisseur of animal crackers (Stouffer’s chocolate animal crackers are my number one), I completely understand his conundrum. For a few moments, we discussed the ginger snap situation, and I offered some potential solutions.
Standing for a moment longer, I looked at him and said, “None of those options would be the same, would they?” He pauses, half smiles, and agrees that the others would not be the same.
I had done what I could and was unable to help him further. I wished him luck and moved on with my shopping.
Alternative Found
I saw him later, and sitting atop his cart was a bag of ginger snap cookies. He had found some that would be close enough for him to enjoy them, though definitely not the same as the ones he would have preferred.
I think that the lesson is one to remember these days. You may not find the specific thing that you want, or things may not be going in the direction that you would like, but there is always an option out there that you can choose.
Finding the alternative is key to having options.
Also that sometimes it is better to have something, even if it isn’t exactly what you want, than nothing at all.
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I write about a lot of different topics and genres. However, I write mainly personal essays about my childhood and learning to heal in adulthood.
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