Monica L. Murphy

WHY WAL-MART IS NOW MY FAVORITE STORE

Wal-Mart, the big Southern enterprise started in Arkansas. If you’re lucky enough to have one of these Super Centers in your town, you can shop for groceries, tires, clothes and the latest over-sized night shirts. Plus there’s the added advantage of exercise as you try to make it from one end of the store to the other in the same day. My cat had stopped speaking to me on Saturday so I ran in there to buy him some more food. While there I picked up some alcohol for a get together.

I stood patiently in line with cat food, margarita wine coolers and brownies till finally it was my turn. When alcohol is scanned the register rings up the question ‘Is the buyer over 27?’ The cashier looked at me and asked for my ID. I laughed and said, “Thanks, you just made my night.”

She was SERIOUS. “I believe you’re over 21 but I’m not sure which side of 27 you’re on so I have to check.”

I said “My SON is old enough to buy alcohol. He’s 21 and just got back from Iraq.” (As you can see, any excuse to bring up one of Mom’s bragging rights on a kiddo).

She called her manager over – apparently my thanking her meant I was being a difficult customer. By this time we had the interest of customers not only in my line but several others as well.

The manager came over and was apprised of the situation in muted tones. At this time I was pulling my driver’s license out of my wallet. The manager looked at it closely and said, “Well, she could probably pass for 30.”

This was hysterical in my opinion because the cashier looked 60 and the manager looked 16 as they stood there together intensely looking from the picture to me and back again as if to make sure it wasn’t a fake.

I still thanked them. I ended up having to show my ID and a picture of my son who no one in line believed was mine.

I should be able to float into the New Year on that one.