Grocery Store Ripple Effect
The biggest things about small gestures.
I think it would be an understatement to say that grocery shopping has become a little bit more stressful than what it used to be just a year ago. Arrows on the ground telling you what direction to move in, people hurrying past you as if you are infectious, and the subtle unease and worry that has become unfortunately normal. As a result of this general change of experience that we now receive at the grocery store, I believe to be an essential place to put in the effort to spread a little good will, and compassion. This could be stepping to the side so someone has plenty of space to walk past, it could be flashing a little eye-smile, or simply saying hello.
Recently I was at the grocery store and had done a real big shop, my cart was nearly overflowing with goods, and I had just found my way into a good line-up. Shortly after securing my spot in the line, a man came up behind me with a couple items in his hands and inevitably his eyes locked with my behemoth of a shopping cart. I immediately noticed a subtle look of frustration on his face, and as he began to walk past me, I called to him and offered for him to go in-front of me. He gave a brief thanks and nothing more. We each stood there in line as total strangers until he was through the till and gone. I knew I would never see this person again, but as I stood there watching the cashier slowly scanning through my mass of groceries, I hoped that I may have made his day just a little bit better. I then proceeded to think that not only did I potentially make his day a little bit better, but I also made mine better. Giving feels good, even if what you have to give is small.
Now as the stranger had left and my thoughts had passed, I struck up a conversation with the cashier, nothing particularly memorable or out of the ordinary as far as the words that were shared. Though what I do remember from that conversation, is that it made both of us smile underneath our moisture filled face masks.
A smile, one of the easiest things you can give. Seemingly small but carrying a massive impact. Every time we smile, our brain releases endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. These are neurotransmitters; chemicals in our brains responsible for regulating our feelings and emotions. Those particular neurotransmitters are known to make you feel happy, as well as producing several other pleasant sensations.
As I left the grocery store that day carrying bags full of food, I felt a little better than I had when I entered, and I am confident to believe that there were at least two other people who felt the same that day. This wasn’t all my doing, rather it was a reciprocal process of giving and receiving. And through that process we all made each other feel a little better.
Together a couple of strangers and myself transformed this unfortunately dreary task of navigating the grocery store into an exchange of experiences that spread a little touch of happiness. That is important. I have always been one to believe that the little things compound into big things, and perhaps those big things are in the process of manifest right now as I type these words. Hopefully sharing the story of those brief exchanges between myself and a couple of strangers may transform your future experiences at the grocery store, and the experiences of others that you encounter.
This is the biggest thing about small acts of kindness, it is impossible to imagine the scale at which our interactions ripple outward.
About the Creator
Mathew Wanbon
Creative Writing student at The University Of British Columbia Okanagan.
I enjoy connecting with nature and documenting my adventures through writing and photographs.
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