Mommies Magazine

Confessions of a Distracted Shopper

Posted on 28. Mar, 2007 by Audra Pettit in Dressed Before Noon

Pizza and bleach…pizza and bleach, I mutter to myself as I hurry towards the grocery store. With a hungry family at home, I am determined to keep my shopping brief and only buy the forgotten items from today’s earlier trip. I head for the row of carts, enjoying the solitude of shopping alone while my husband stays home with the kids.

As I reach for an available cart, I notice something in the baby seat of the cart next to me-a few green leaves left behind from a bouquet of flowers and a stuffed lavender envelope. Written on the envelope in a no-nonsense script are the words, “To Rosemary, (my wife).”

What an interesting inscription, I think to myself as I shop. Who is Rosemary? Is it her birthday? Anniversary? And why did her husband have to clarify “my wife” after her name? Are there other Rosemarys in his life, with whom she must compete?

I pick up the take-and-bake pizza and head through the checkout, grabbing a bottle of bleach along the way. Maybe they had a fight and he was trying to make it up to her, only to leave the thoughtful card behind! Poor, poor man; So hurried, so distracted!

I listen to the sounds of the parking lot and adjacent street as I stroll to my car still pondering the plot behind the remaining gift left behind. Do I leave things behind like that? Nah! I’m usually pretty good about picking up after myself. Sure, maybe the occasional receipt, or my children’s crumbs from free cookie samples, but nothing that would tell anyone about me.

I reach into my cart to load my groceries into the mini-van. I gasp. The cart is empty! Did I take the wrong cart? Did I even go through the checkout? Suddenly, I can’t remember if I paid for anything. I quickly return to the store to solve the mystery.

Searching the checkout stands, I find the familiar face of my cashier.

“I thought you’d be back!” She says, smiling as she gently pushes my groceries towards me.

“Thanks,” I say with a sigh. “I guess I had my head in the clouds.”

I sheepishly return to the car with my few items, and wonder how Rosemary’s husband is doing.