Epiphany: a sudden, intuitive insight into the reality caused by a commonplace occurrence or experience
I shop early AM at Wal-Mart to miss the traffic and crowds.
Today at 10 AM, store was crowded, pushed up and down aisles in the crowds (needed something from every dept in the 4 acre store) got to the registers and the shortest line was 6 baskets waiting, waited patiently (found out Chelsea is getting divorced) and paid.
I walked 3 more acres to get to the Vue parked in the back 40 of the parking lot.
Loaded the last bag and thought, where is the lettuce and tomatoes? IN THE STORE, I forgot them.
Stared at door across 3 acres of parking lot (of course the lettuce was on the opposite side from where I parked), headed back inside, had to make a pit stop from all the walking ( I am woman).
Woman in restroom, coughing up her lungs with emphysema.
I stepped out the door and almost fell over a woman who could hardly walk, patch on her eye, leaning on basket for support, and as I headed for the produce, I started to NOTICE, really SEE the people
Arm in a cast, Very old man stumbling along behind his wife like a child, mother with 4 small kids, a woman who looked like she wanted to cry. Mother with screamer in basket.
My self said to me…. do you see anyone anywhere that you would want to change places with? Take their body or live their life? I could hardly navigate to the produce from staring at all he hurting people. At checkout once again in front of all the hurting people in the magazines.
Not one did I see that I wanted to trade with. I thought, since I can walk and walk fast, I have money to pay for the food, my brain is functioning (most of the time).
I have No patched eye, no cast, no bent back, no wheel chair. I am driving home to Hubby and 2 canines
I am so BLESSED… and I thank God for pointing it out to me.
The epiphany is…. What am I going to do with my new insight and how will it change my life? I will let you know when I know what it is.
MadSnapper, AKA Bloviator: "bloviate: to speak or write verbosely, typically not about anything important. Quote in header by Emery Austin
18 comments:
It is 3:40 A.M. What are you doing up?? Are you up twenty minutes early, no, I'm thinking this was pre-posted. I'm trying to get to bed by 4:00, I guess I go to bed when you get up. Except for babysitting days. But it's taken me this long to do comments and then post my own. This must have happened yesterday, and it's a very riveting and moving story!!! Sometimes when I shop, I don't see ANYTHING except the merchandise and shelves!! It is Phil who looks at the people, then tells me about them. He looks at them while I look at stuff and shop. I really hope you have an ending for your story soon, I think you are getting closer! This is also a great story for us ALL to read, especially ME, because we need to be more aware of people in public. We might be able to open or close doors, give someone a few cents who doesn't have enough money, and other little acts of kindness. I always open doors for people with strollers or wheelchairs, but now they open them for me because I'm in the wheelchair. Guess it's time to be on the recipient end of many things now. How I HATE it.
That was some shopping trip. My husband won't go near a Walmart after 9 a.m. If it's later than that I'll be going alone.
I'm betting that you will make good use of the newly acquired insight.
Well it actually sounded hilarious (sorry you had to go back) thats happen to me before! I actually told my husband today..notice how everyone around us seems to be embroiled in some kind of problem? You saw the injured and I've been seeing the lame? I've been looking at world events too and if I don't laugh I'm going to weep! It's very late..so forgive me-
I think about that. There's a saying somewhere that none of us would trade our problems for someone else's and when you think of it, like you did, and it is so true. Well, except for someone who has the problem of too much money. I'd like that one. But even that one causes problems I wouldn't want like having to pay an enormous amount to the IRS.
BTW...10 a.m. is EARLY to go to Walmart? I go there sometimes at 3 in the morning. Then nobody is there. :))
Great post, Sandra--and what an epiphany!!! I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's either--but the only thing I have ever wished for is that I could eat anything I wanted to eat and be skinny.... ha ha... Other than that, I am just me --and am happy being me.
As I get older and experience more aches and pains --I think of the people you mentioned and wondered if I would be there sometime... Yipes--I hope not, but who knows?????? Getting old is pure hell!
Yesterday --I had a cramp in my foot, so I was sorta limping... AND--I had a stiff neck... AND --my thumbs hurt... Geee--this is NOT fun.... Can I wish to be 20 again???? Nah---wouldn't like that either.
Have a wonderful Sunday.
Hugs,
Betsy
Excellent post.I agree with Betsy,I would like to eat all I want and still get o a size 10 or so.OK,I'm dreaming,I have no idea what I would look like at that size.In reality,I would not want to trade even my sorrow for what others are going through.Thanks for the thoughtful post.
Great insight Sandra. Sometimes we think our problems are the worst til we see others much worse off than ourselves.
I enjoyed it all over again. Good post. We all went out to breakfast after church and we were discussing this one and that one who is having a bad time. Sick, painful, marital problems, money problems, etc. I said think about all your friends. Do you know anyone who is not suffering from one thing or another. None of us could come up with one person. Like you say, we have to be thankful for what we have and appreciate all of our blessings. Then...keep on keeping on..... Thanks for a great post!
What an awesome lesson to learn and I am sure IF we kept our eyes open - we would all see this story. Kind of sad for the others though isn't it? sandie
Thanks for a wonderful post. I think that too often we do get so wrapped up in our own world that we don't see other people. In spite of all the aches and pains I don't think I would want to change places with anyone I've seen. Besides, I want to hold onto my Beautiful Bride!
Sometimes it doesn't feel like a truth.. but there are always people worse off than I am... and some of them live in huge mansions and are worth multimillions of dollars... but they lack what counts the most.. the open heart that let's God work his miracles.
There is always so much to be grateful for and someone who could use a smile or a hand.
Sandra, thanks for the reminder that if we can get out of bed ourselves and see a beautiful sunset we should be thankful for the day. And, whenever we see folks less fortunate than ourselves, we should be double thankful.
Being a total people watcher I am very aware of the Walmart crowd. If I were ever having a bad day and feeling down that's where I would go to come to my senses.
Parking in the south 40, that's where I park too. As far away from the front door as I can get.
I feel like I'm in Walmart land this weekend, another blog friend also did a Walmart post at http://myweathervane.blogspot.com/2011/02/iq-60-need-not-apply.html
A wonderful post-and wonderful thought-and a wondeful thing for me to keep in mind.
Who knew Wal-Mart could be the site of a spiritual epiphany? Great post and great comments from your Mad Snapper "gang." And about the process of aging, I always think of the elderly gentlemen who used to sit behind us at church when our children were small. He always responded to the query "How are you?" with "Every day above ground is a good day!"
this gave me goosebumps.... great job - can't wait to hear more.
Oh my, this post gave me heart pangs. We were discussing this very thing at our Bible Study the other night. (not Walmart) but being aware of others and serving/helping.
Wellwritten Sandra.
I can't believe how long its been since I read your posts. So sorry. Seems I just shut down for a while. Trying to get back into things again. Could be part of that aging process too. I'm not going too gracefully into it.
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