I'm tolerant of everything but an attitude.

Disclaimers and Statement of Position

Green is good.  It's important for all of us to conserve resources and I believe in eating organic foods when possible.  I'm not currently a vegetarian but I've been one in the past.  I love Mother Earth.  I love red wine too.

Healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes.  There are petite people and large people.  Some bodies are sinewy, and some are soft and curvier.   A big smile on most body types makes for an attractive person.  Squishy, severely overweight does not qualify as a healthy body.

Some kids and teens might be predisposed to carrying a little more weight.  I understand this.  I really do.  Kids go through growth spurts where their bodies store a few extra pounds while they prepare to grow vertically.  The majority of large children, in my opinion, are NOT predisposed to being overweight.  They're simply consuming too much food and not moving enough. 

Proper hygiene doesn't always mean a good smelling person.  I realize that many people are using natural soaps and shampoos to avoid chemicals.  Clean people may not have a clean smell.  They may have a neutral smell.  They should not however, smell like B.O. and bong water.

Piercings and tattoos are an art, a form of self expression and personal decoration.  If I were younger I would likely have a belly button piercing and a little jewel in my nose.  I think both are adorable.  Ink can be very cool and pretty.  It can be scary too.

Shopping at Whole Foods

This was my last stop on a day of running several errands.  I was tired.  I placed my items on the belt to be scanned.  My organic, power-grains bread, organic tomatoes, napkins make from recycled paper [I buy them because I like the tan, unbleached color to be honest.], soy candles that don't produce carcinogens (at least not that they've discovered YET), and a few conventionally produced items (gasp).

The smug, 17-year old checkout girl shifted her gaze unapologetically, from my purchases to my outfit, to my handbag - clearly forming opinions in her little, organically stoned brain.  Here's where I hope my disclaimers are helpful...

She was smelly, dirty (in a purposeful way), pierced everywhere including those disturbing eyebrow piercings that almost make me faint, tattooed on her throat (maybe she was older than 17), and FAT.  Not a little curvy, or just big-boned, but squishy, eats too much Mac-N-Cheese when she's stoned while sitting around contemplating how effed-up the world is - FAT.  None of this would have bothered me if she didn't have an attitude.

I wanted a bag.  That's all.  I didn't have a canvas bag with me or a bucket or a big enough purse to shove everything in - sue me.  I needed a bag for my stuff.  Maybe even two.

I didn't get two, because the sweet, little gal was intent on cramming everything into ONE bag to make her point.  I wanted to rip her eyebrow rings right out of her fat forehead - or at least give them a solid tug.  [Her forehead really was fat.  I'm not making that up.]

The girl says, "Do you need a bag?"

"That would be helpful today.  Thanks."

She suggested if I was parked close I might be able to stack my things and carry them to the car.

"Nooooo.  A bag would be good."

She sighs AND rolls her eyes, "Paper okay?"

"That's fine...  I'll recycle it y'know?"  [I hate when I justify myself to a smug, urban-granola teenager.  Hate it.]

I got home, unloaded a day's worth of stuff and started making dinner.  The Whole Foods paper bag? This one's going to the landfill.  [Not really, I'd feel too guilty.]

Comments

[tysdaddy]

Wow. A bitch-slap would have been in order, and probably heartily cheered by those around you.

I despise rude people more than just about anything . . .

[Kate Coveny Hood]

This makes me wonder how many disdainful looks I get at my Whole Foods... I'm usually too busy talking on my cell to friends about all of my leather apparel and toxic cleaning products to notice. Just kidding of course - but I do tend to be oblivious - and I'm sure I look very un-earth friendly in general. Oh - and neck piercings? I almost passed out just visualizing that.

[Cheri @ Blog This Mom!]

WTF with Whole Foods? The same stupid bitch asked my daughter (who is an activist, one year out of college, works with children, recycles or reuses everything, buys only locally-grown organic food, i.e., a precious and giving soul) if she wanted to buy a $30 canvas bag to feed hungry children in Africa. My daughter, who had brought her own canvas bags into the store, declined. But the cashier pressed on about how it was an important cause and children in other countries are starving and we all must do our share etc. WTF with Whole Foods?

I love it when you call a spade a spade, or should I say "lurve" it?

;-)

[Sherri]

Our "local" Whole Foods is 40 minutes away. They once asked me to fill out a paper for one of those little keychain saver thingys but I was too embarrassed to share my address, as it would reveal how much gas I used getting to their store.

Funny stuff!

[Connie @ Young and Relentless]

Have you heard about the granola restaurant in SLC that only charges you what you can afford? I bet there are some attitudes working there too.

I would like to show that gal the number of poopy diapers I am sending to the landfill and see if one of her piercing pops out of her head!

[Middle-Aged-Woman]

A bad attitude is very unattractive. I think this is a good life lesson for me.

Love,Claire

[Bobbi Olson]

No doubt she parks close whenever possible and not to carry her items to her car, which we all know she wouldn't do, but because she's lazy.

She's lazy with a fat forehead! I love it!

[vodkamom]

I agree with the bad attitude. AND, I LOVE all your positions.

This post was great!!!!!! ( now don't get ME started......)

[Tristan]

Now here is something I should have added to my '7 Things' post...I'm kind of in to the small, tasteful piercings as well. How about when I lose 60 lbs we celebrate with navel rings. I had one when I was skinny and loved it...not that anyone ever saw it, but it was the only slightly rebellious thing I ever did.

[csquaredplus3]

Tysdaddy - Wooo! Very few people have made me angry enough that I could actually hit them. This girl was close...

Kate Coveny Hood - It wasn't a NECK piercing Honey - she had throat tats. That would have been bad though.

Cheri - Thanks! I knew you'd rally against the self-righteous!

Sherri - I know. I was afraid the stinky, mean, fat, self-righteous girl would follow me out and judge my car. (It's not a hybrid. Shhh.)

Connie - I haven't heard about the "Pay-What-You-Can" restaurant. The people who eat there must be the same ones asking my for money outside of Whole Foods.

Claire - You do NOT have a bad attitude. (If that's what you were implying.) Love, Chris

Bobbi - Yeah!

Vodka Mom - Oh PLEASE, get started. I would LOVE to hear your "positions" once you get going. I'm pouring my wine right now, and patiently waiting...

Tristan - That would have been a perfect tidbit to share on your "7 Things" post. If you want to get a new navel ring, I'll go WITH you. I want a tummy tat though.

[thedemigod]

I would've gone in there and bought every mass-produced non-environment-friendly product available in the store.

Covered head to toe in fur.

And have her PLASTIC-bag EACH item that I paid for.

LOL! Of course you know I jest.

About paying for things. :P

[anna]

Wow, this chick would have had a field day with me. I'd be like, "I need about forty plastic bags, please, and can you please explain to me why Whole Foods persists in this insanity of not carrying diet coke? JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE PROVING?!"

So yeah, what a snot.

[Mrs.D]

What is she bag patrol or something?? Yikes. Around here you get all the sacks you need. Sometimes even double bagged. She'd die.

[Deidre]

Don't worry about your car not being a hybrid - at the moment the life cycle of the a hybrid vehicle actually uses more energy than just buying an echo or a focus or some other wee car.

My experience with whole foods alternates between the self-righteous faux hippies and the guys who hit on me over puffins cereal. awkward!

[csquaredplus3]

TheDemiGod - I think I love you Pumpkin.

Anna - She was a snot. I haven't called someone a snot in years, but that's exactly what she was. Thank you for helping me find the words. No diet coke? Crazy.

Mrs. D. - She was the Barney Fife of the bag police. I bet if we gave her a gun she'd shoot herself in the foot.

Deidre - Thank you for making me feel better about not owning a hybrid. That was very compassionate of you. I love Puffins - creepy guys though - trying to find love in the Puffins aisle.

[newbestfriend]

Sweet Chris. You simply have to out-bitch them.

I would have tossed my Russian Lynx wrap over my shoulder, flipped my freshly-(chemically) highlighted hair, looked down my newly-sculpted nose, raised my perfectly coiffed eyebrow (only one) and said to the walking billboard for Hepatitis (after clearing my throat in an agitated manner), "Please touch my purchases as LITTLE as possible as you don't appear to be a fan of hand-washing." (If I was really pissed, I would have directed her to put on plastic gloves.) And I would have stared at her until she sheepishly looked away.

[Ms. Maxwell]

First things first: the place that charges you only what you can pay is One World Cafe in downtown SLC. It's a good mix of attitudes and high profile greens. Interesting to people-watch, that's for sure. Now, on to business. Since you are my new resident expert on memes (that was a very informative post you did a few weeks ago!), I'm launching another one your way. As I said in my tagging list, I'm pretty sure you'll blow the doors off random!

Have at it:http://www.schaererville.com/2008/11/and-heres-where-you-get-real-story.html

[thedemigod]

Awwwww. I think I love you too, gourd!

Wait, were we doing vegetables?

[Debby]

My daughter went on a summer exchange to France in high school and she came home with a fondness for Nutella. So I was willing to indulge her but I couldn't find a jar at Whole Foods. I asked the young male stock clerk where it was, and with a supercilious sneer, he said, "we don't carry that here. it has preservatives in it." SOORRRRY I asked.....

[Jessica Bern]

Try going into a Whole Foods for the first time and asking where the Diet Coke was....I was nearly shot.