There is something spiritual about entering the walls of Costco. I can almost hear the angels singing Hallelujah each time I arrive. Considering I work at Feeding America, I may be learning to see the romantic side of warehouses. Costco just seems to have all of the things I like most. Here is my short list of must-purchase items EVERY time I go: Spanakopita, Goat Cheese, Chandon Brut, Prosciutto and Pistachios. If I ever leave without one of those items, have me admitted as I have probably lost my mind. And, since the end of the world was only 13 days away at the time, I splurged on some other sinful delights. I can’t write about those right now because I am hungry as I type. Like grocery shopping, I have learned that you should never blog about food while you are hungry or else the fridge ends up getting raided unnecessarily.
Yesterday, I went to the Big Box with my husband, Scott, who enjoys sniffing out deals and finding useless things to appease the hoarder in him. We made one critical mistake. We ate before we went and forgot about the free weekend buffet served by lonely senior citizens wearing hairnets and holding scissors. My husband almost got his hand slapped after he reached BEHIND the plexiglass cover to get a completed sample from the tray one lady was preparing (rather slowly may I add). “NOT proper tasting etiquette! Doesn’t he know better? What a Costco rookie,” I thought as I winced.
After sampling crackers, olives, sausages, stinky cheese and coconut water (jealous?), we pushed our TWO carts full of treasures to the check out lane. As we worked our way up to the front of the line, my husband looked behind us and saw a sweet older gentleman with a small TV and dress shirt in his cart. Two items compared to our two HUNDRED (give or take)…
Scott offered to have the gentleman go in front of us and he gladly accepted. He even seemed rather surprised. The cashier team thanked Scott and said that it is rare that customers offer to let someone go ahead of them in line. It made me wonder if Scott’s Jenerous act was uncommon because people are in a hurry, or if they are just unaware of other people around them. Maybe if we are more aware, we would see the opportunities to be more Jenerous all around us? Sometimes it is less about the act of Jenerosity as much as it is about how wonderful it feels to be noticed and have someone put your needs in front of their own. Recognition is the first step in that process.
I love my husband. He has a great heart and seeks out opportunities to recognize the needs of others; I benefit from that frequently. I was proud to stand next to him yesterday as the cashiers oohed and aahed over what a great guy he is. I can’t say the same about the sampler lady with the scissors!
There is something spiritual about entering the walls of Costco. I can almost hear the angels singing Hallelujah each t...