Seeds of Change

I went to the grocery store the other day. Happened to notice all of the Uncle Ben’s rice boxes were gone. Most shelves were empty.

Please don’t fret if you are a big fan of the rice. It will be back! Same taste. Just a bit of rebranding. The company made the announcement that it is removing the image of “Uncle Ben” who is the Black man on the box.

Here is the company’s statement.

“Racism has no place in society. We stand in solidarity with the Black community, our Associates and our partners in the fight for social justice,” Mars said. “We know to make the systemic change needed, it’s going to take a collective effort from all of us — individuals, communities and organizations of all sizes around the world.”

If this really bothers someone or if it matters to them personally-like interfering with a cherished memory of parboiled rice on the kitchen table-I’d ask them just one thing.

“Why?”

As I was strolling down the aisle that day I did happen to notice something else. The shelves weren’t totally empty. Up on the top there were still a few boxes. No, not Uncle Ben’s. Those are totally gone. These were called,”Seeds of Change.”

We all have a choice.

Keep things the same. Or be the seeds of change.

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Caper

I ask a lot of questions. I’m a curious sort. Especially now that I am older and no longer care if my questions are deemed silly.

Ran into the grocery the other day for capers. I asked the guy who was stocking the shelves where I could locate them. He got up and showed me where they were in the next aisle. He went back to work.

I realized then that I really didn’t know what a caper is and I wanted to know. I was spending nearly $5.00 USD on a small bottle of it.

Sure, I could have left.

I turned around and went back to the man.

I said, “Hey.”

He replied, “Hey.”

I continued, “What exactly is a caper?”

He looks at me and says, “I really don’t know.”

Gets up off his stool.

I say, “No bother. It’s okay.”

He says, “No, now you have me curious.”

I ask, “You going to google it?” Lol.

There is a young female employee. He asks her.

She says, “I don’t know but my mother uses them in her German meals.”

So she googles it.

A caper is a small edible flower bud. Comes from a bush native to Mediterranean region.

 

 

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In The Bag

I am a techno-geek. Okay, I’m just kidding. But I do know how to text. I’ve got that in the bag! Alone and in a group. A group chat. Not me sitting with a group of people ignoring them while I text!

Sometimes the girls in the neighborhood and I will just send a quick message to keep in touch. I usually start mine with, “Sometimes I wonder…..” and wait for someone to respond.

Usually it’s a bit wacky but they are always right there to get involved and throw in their two cents.

Here’s a recent excerpt of one of our on-line chats:

Me: Sometimes I wonder………

C:  Yes, you do!

Me: Sometimes I wonder why I can whip open a doggie waste bag in a second yet it takes a good twenty minutes , in the produce aisle of the local grocery while inhaling durian, trying to open up their clear plastic bags for fruits and vegetables.

C: I swear sometimes those bags bring me to tears.

Me: LOL

K: And then to my horror I find myself dabbing my finger on my tongue to get a better grip…..then I freak out about germs.

This is so true. I kid you not. I feel like a bloody fool wasting precious moments of my life making sweeping motions with my thumb against index and middle finger (think international gesture for money) trying to gain access to a produce bag. For the love of God, it’s a bag! Not an exclusive night club. I should be able to get in. And shouldn’t have to work so hard.

I sometimes start inching my way up from the bottom of the baggie desperately trying to find some sort of opening. To no avail.  Never happens.

I do this while in a constant state of motion, eyes flitting, dodging behind the pyramid of oranges, and walking swiftly down the aisles. Because I don’t want the locals laughing at me. Or worse, pitying me. I somehow think that they all know the secret and I am out of the loop.

Honestly, it’s the little things that could just drive you mad. And I’ve totally got that in the bag.

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