Confrontation in Albertson's Grocery Store

This event happened to my son and I while checking out at Albertson's on Thursday, September 29, 2011.

Yesterday my son and I were at Albertson's purchasing some snackie items. When it became our turn in line for the cashier to ring up our purchase Landen noticed the stacks of candy sitting on the cashier's stand, pointed and exclaimed, "Candy! Mommy, I have?" To which I replied, "No, we are buying different snacks." The cashier at that time said something about not knowing why stores put candy on the registers like that to which I replied that it was a marketing ploy for exactly what happened with my son. Children see candy or other treats and want some. I also stated that my son was "unlucky because I actually parent and he therefore does not get every little thing that he asks for." The cashier smiled (it was a guy probably a few years younger than I am).

Immediately after making my statement the woman who was standing in line behind us pipes up asking if I was calling all parents who give their children candy bad parents. I said no, that I was not infering that people were bad parents for giving their children candy but that my statement was pointed at the fact that as a marketing ploy it really works because a lot of people by the time they are at the checkout line their kids have driven them half-crazy and they just give the child whatever they are demanding just to shut them up. I told her my stance was against lazy-parenting. To which she replied that she didn't appreciate my calling her lazy and that I had no right to say that she was a bad mother.

At this point the woman's husband (?) starts to murmer to her that she needs to stop, it is also the point where the cashier was finishing up my transaction. I was beginning to be upset at this point because this woman had obviously not actually listened to the words that I had spoken, had accused me of saying things that I had not in any way actually said, and to top it all off she started her tirade in front of my child. I took the opportunity of the cashier handing me my receipt and her husband speaking to her to get out of the store.

The entire purpose of my comments to the cashier were to point out that it was a good marketing ploy because of two things:
1. Parents will give their children things to not have to deal with them anymore.
2. People have low impulse control.

Now, I would like to know what made this woman think that she had any right to purposely try to begin an argument with someone in the middle of the grocery store, especially in front of a small child.

That was a very strange trip to the grocery store.

The Beginning of Madness!

Every story has a beginning and so this is mine, but before I tell you about who I am and why I am doing this, let me share with you what I am going to be posting on this page.

My goal with this space is to post about the things that I see, hear, read and generally experience. Then give you my opinion on the subject and ask you for your thoughts on the subject as well. The ultimate goal is to have an unjudgemental forum for people to be able to share their thoughts and opinions without ridicule. I will *NOT* tolerate hatred in the responses on this page. The first time is the last time that I will allow your posts to be made.

And with that out of the way....

Hello! I am Edwina Robinson, some of you may know me by my middle name, Michelle. I currently reside in Helena, Montana but consider my "home" to be Texas. I spent the beginning of my childhood traveling around to different parts of the country until my 5th grade year when my siblings and I moved to Texas to permanently reside with our maternal grandmother. My family consists of myself, my beautiful son, Landen (who at the time of me writing this first entry is 2 years old), and his father, Ian. We are all animal lovers and have the goal of being able to buy a home within the next few years so that we may expand our family to include dogs and maybe a cat (Ian and I do not paticulaly care for cats but Landen *LOVES* them!). I have a very analitical mind and constantly make lists to help plan and organize everything, that does not however mean that everything in my life is easy or structured!

I have always had an interest in understanding other people. I am a person with an incredibly open mind and it appears that my ability to see past a lot of things is a rare thing in life. Therefore I strive to create controvertial subjects to discuss with other people so that maybe they can begin to learn that underneath it all we are all really the same. If at all possible I will write my topics in a manner so as to not sound offensive, but there are times when the nature of the topic makes it near-impossible to do so.

Because I want you to all have an understanding of who I am and what things make me the way that I am, and how a person with views such as mine can live just as "normally" as the rest of you I will also post some random blogs of activites that I have/have not enjoyed, interesting things that have happened in my life, pictures and/or videos that I believe others might find interesting and because one of my favorite things to do is baking and cooking I will from time to time share meals that I have created and recipes.

I hope that everyone enjoys coming to this place and know that you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions with me at any time. If you do not feel comfortable sharing on the comments please feel free to send me an email and I will post your thoughts anonymously on the page instead.

**Monday, September 26, 2011. Helena, MT today's high was a warm 79 degrees farenheit.