Saturday, February 16, 2008

Faces

Is everyone unhappy? I was people watching in Wal Mart recently and noticed no one looked happy. Or contented. Some faces were tired, some strained, some stressed, many looked worried. A lot of people were obviously impatient, in a hurry.
The worst faces looked numb. Blank. Like they weren't feeling anything. Hopeless.
Ok. I know that's only one store. But there were a lot of people there - and no laughter, no smiles.

At this store, we have a greeter who always says" have fun" as we get our carts. It doesn't look like anyone does.

I wonder if all those people hate shopping or just don't like WalMart. Do they morph into cheerful, relaxed people when they escape the most famous 'box store'? Or do they carry that discontented aura home along with their purchases, and live with it always?

I should mention that this store is in a fairly decent area. Most people own their own homes, there isn't much crime, the parking lot is full of new or not very old cars. We are supposed to be the lucky ones, living the American Dream.

What do you think? Have you noticed this? Do you feel the stress while shopping or do you enjoy the WalMart experience?

7 comments:

Melissa said...

Hey there,
You know, my husband and I talked about this the other day. I think it's not just WalMart, sadly. We were at DMV and since we were together were laughing and cheerful. We looked around and noticed absolutely no one else was enjoying themselves in the least. WalMart itself is a stressful environment - it's drab, and kind of barren. Not much to bring joy, just like most commercial spaces.
I think too it is a commentary on our lives in general. There's just not a lot of contentment going around, maybe because we don't have time to stop and smell the proverbial roses.
Hope all is well with you. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Hi Melissa,Good to hear from you. I don't think it's just WalMart either. I agree, WalMart is stressful, and not at all attractive. I really miss our mall, sadly it is long gone, along with intersesting displays, and an atmosphere of fun. Not all changes are totally positive are they.
Hope the baby is doing well.

Anonymous said...

My husband always enjoys Walmart shopping when he crosses the border to the US to go grocery shopping.

So, yes, he is a happy shopper because he's saving money shopping buying in US dollars.

Melissa said...

First of all, Gilly thanks for stopping by my site! It's great to hear from you again! Hope all is well with you.
Secondly Sharon - being from Canada, I can certainly relate to the feeling a certain degree of elation shopping in the US and knowing you're saving money! :) Cheers!

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