Once again, I am back!

I knew that something would happen to knock me out of my lethargy and emotional down spiral, (Dont' know why I had a down spiral anyway) and today it did. My sense of humor has come to my rescue, and now I have all of you to share it with. I will get back to my story of the children's home, but today, I just want to relish the feeling of being able to write again and enjoy it. So, here is what happened.
This evening, I decided to go to Walmart to get some things for the week. Over the last few months, with my blood pressure being very unstable and also having hurt my ankle, I have been using a motorized cart to do my shopping. I have never wanted to stoop to motorized cart shopping, it seems such a cop out to me, especially if there is nothing obvious as to why you are in a motorized cart. Be honest folks, usually it is a very heavy person tooling around in one of those, and perhaps the thought is that they are too lazy to get up and walk through the store. I am sure that most of you are more benevolent in your thinking, more charitable, but before I began to use a cart like that, I will admit, that I had those thoughts. Those carts are for the elderly, the handicapped, the impaired- not for the chubby shopper! But, to my shame, I had resorted to the use of a motorized cart and tried to ignore what I felt were the stares of the judgemental. Sadly to say, the more you use a cart, the easier it is to just get in one and go. You began to recognize the ones powered up, the new ones with more leg room and which ones will be more comfortable. The store seemed to grow larger and the aisles longer if I contemplated actually walking through to shop! But, my ankle healed and I no longer had that for an excuse. I do have difficulty with excercise, or even walking a distance as I get dizzy, perspire heavily and get crushing headaches. I am being evaluated for these things, but recently I made the vow to stay away from the motorized carts and push a regular cart. I figured any little effort could only do me good. I have done well too, but today I went to baseball games, and a chili cookoff at church. By this evening I was pooped out, and walking into Walmart I felt the motorized carts calling to me, enticing me, " Come to me, I will give you a ride and you will enjoy your shopping trip! Just this once, c'mon, it's okay!" So, I gave in and chose one that looked well charged. As I puttered across the store, I tried to justify my being in the cart. Next time I shopped, I would walk all the way! First, I went to the meat department and picked out some really lovely pork chops to make a special dinner for my brother Ken and his family. I was excited to have them over after church. I went to produce and caressed the yellow squash- I pinched a mango, admired some cherry tomatoes and took a right turn to go and get frozen bread dough for Sunday dinner. As I took the right turn, the cart jerked, shuddered and stopped. With concern, I checked the power button. It was charged up full. I tried to go forward, and the poor cart moaned and shuffled at a snail's pace. Well great! I thought the power was low and the cart was not showing it. I continued to try to go forward, and went at a really slow pace with a grinding noise beneath the cart. It was official, I was too fat for the cart! It was working, but very slowly, so I continued on to get my few items, crawling along with my face flaming. I hoped that I could find an empty push cart to transfer my groceries too instead of having to leave them to walk to the front to report the dead cart and look for another basket. I figured as long as the thing would go, I would keep shopping. Sooner or later I would probably run into Martin and he could help me. I picked up a few more things and was about to get to the back of the store where I hoped Martin might be. Suddenly, I heard someone calling, " Excuse me, hello!" I turned to see who was calling and found that a very elderly lady was trying to get my attention. She was walking over to me as fast as a very elderly lady can walk, (not fast at all)the whole time waving and calling to me. I turned and smiled, acknowleging that I had heard her. When she reached me, she said very loudly, "did you know you were dragging a rug behind you?" What? A rug?!!! And sure enough, there was a large rubber mat stuck under the cart and I had been dragging it all through the store! Well, that explains the sudden slowing of that stupid cart! I started to get up to pull the rug out, and the lady said, "No no honey, let me do it! You just sit there and I will get it out!" With that, she bent over and began pulling at that mat with all her strength. By now, we have attracted a crowd. Another younger lady began to help the elderly lady telling her that she was going to hurt her back if she kept pulling at the mat. "Oh no" says granny, "I am pretty strong for my age, and thank goodness that I am not forced to use one of these carts to get around! I hope the day never comes that I can't help myself shopping and have to scoot around everywhere!" Of course by now I have indeed gotten off the cart and am attempting to assist the ladies with the mat that seemed to love being right where it was. Finally, with the help of all three of us and another gentleman, the mat is released from under the cart. If I am not embarrassed enough, now I have to get back on the cart in front of all those people and super granny. With profuse thanks and mortification, I get on the cart and go forward. Well, it shot forward at an amazing pace, rattling the groceries and leaving the crowd in it's wake. All I could do was scoot around another corner to the aisle where the diet drinks were sold. Fortunately, there was only one other person there, and they had not witnessed my shame.
See- that is what I got for not honoring my vow. From now on, I am not going shopping unless I am well rested, well fed, and ready to walk on my own. Yes, indeed, here is one chubby honey that will not have to endure the stares of the uninformed- and if I have to get a motorized cart, it will be at 2 in the morning when no one will care anyway! Love, nanasee