The other day I took a trip to ghetto-mart. Knowingly.
In all fairness, not all Wal-Mart stores are created equally. If you go to the right location (read: wealthy areas) some stores are surprisingly upscale. That is not the case with the one closest to our home. Sigh. Most days I trek it northward and go to the "nicer" one. Sometimes, though, I don't want to drive the distance and go for the closer of the two, forgetting that the time I will spend in line is probably the equivalent to what I'd spend driving. Oh well.
Anyway,
such was the case that I opted for ghetto, understanding ahead of time that the images I'd see there may or may not be appropriate for children under the age of 13. Wal-Mart did not disappoint. Rather, the patrons. (Yes, I know, I'm one of them.)
The point is, I saw a woman there with 3 kids, like myself. The youngest was a baby - tinier than I'd ever seen in person. He was TINY. Seriously, much smaller than any of my kids at birth I'm sure. And my kids were not big babies. Then came the shocker - I asked her how old her child was and she told me he was 3 WEEKS OLD.
So at this point I am in awe of how small this baby is, and now freaking out that she would take him out in public (to Wal-Mart of all places) to be accosted by all the germs and nastiness found there.
I realize there may be reasons she has to do this -- no milk, no babysitter, etc. But here's the kicker - it was a COLD day. Cold and windy. Naturally she was wearing a coat. But do you think she had a coat for her 2 older kids? Nope. Baby? Nope. Hat? Shoes? Nope, nope. No socks. No sweater. Not even a blanket. The kid was outfitted in a short-sleeve onesie and that was it. A onsie. I had to resist the urge to take the baby and make a run for it. I should have turned around and purchased a blanket for him. I'm kicking myself now.
I know Wal-Mart is not to blame for this scene. But I also know if I go back I am more likely to find a repeat of the scene there than at any other store I frequent. And I just don't know if my heart can take it.
March 2023
9 months ago
3 comments:
That is a super sad story!
Wow, i'd be tempted to take the baby, too.
I hate Wal-Mart. Hate that it's a corporate predator. Hate the way they jip their employees on benefits. Hate their anti-feminist corporate politics. But most of all I hate that we as a nation have come to depend on them so heavily. For more reasons than one, stay away, my friend. Don't get sucked in by its enticing cheapness. The "cost" is not worth the price.
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