Aimed

Had the most pleasant visit at Target today. I know, kind of an oxymoron. Now, Target is my favorite store of its kind, but usually a trip there is more of a chore. Today, i made a life-changing executive decision:

I grabbed a cart instead of my standard basket.

You have to understand. I HATE the cart. It renders you less mobile and subjects you to blockage by oblivious shoppers in a trance. Nothing is more irritating than oblivion even though everyone is guilty of it once in a while.

I've gone the extreme of carrying two baskets just to avoid the cart.

But there comes a time when i actually want to take my sweet time browsing. I've been meaning to do that ever since Target revolutionized their West Coast stores by expanding and enriching the food section, and has done a marvelous job at that. (Motion-sensored freezer lights? Nice! And green, too.) Nothing like Super Target back east, i've been told. But what i haven't experienced i won't miss. The West Coast counterparts are just fine, thank you very much.

When you have 20 lb. of goods on each arm, it's sort of hard to browse.

I was viewing some gift bags when my cart rolled over one that had fallen on the floor. I cringed as if i had run over and killed an animal. I picked it up and returned it to its brethren.

An employee down the aisle restocking witnessed, and thanked me. The unexpected attention was slightly uncomfortable.

"I don't like when things are out of place," i confessed. At clothing stores i put misplaced items back where they belong. I simply can't stand it. It's more my OCD at work than an altruistic act.

"You're the only guest who has done that!" Exclaimed the Target team-member.

"I'd like to think there are more people out there who would do the same," i said.

He insisted a few more times that such saintly behavior was unheard of, and thanked me again, several times. At the end, i thanked him.

As i checked out, the woman asked for my ID for the bottle of wine i was buying. She didn't look very thrilled from the first second.

As i handed my driver's license to her, i smiled and said, "Thank you for making my day!"

Caught off-guard, she burst into laughter. And not the fake kind.

"It's nice to still get carded," i went on. Yeah, i'm at that age.

She then took a moment to explain her position along the lines of "kids these days!"

These days, i find myself saying "kids these days!", too. It's the true sign of aging.

Upon scanning a couple of greeting cards, she observed and acknowledged with appreciation the fact that i had turned the cards so that not only does each barcode face outward, it was on the opposite end of the envelope flap, unobstructed and infrared ready.

Again, the unexpected attention was somewhat uncomfortable. I was reminded of my Hallmark days that bordered on religious. The Hallmark clerks would thank me for flipping, too.

"It's a bad habit," i told the woman.