My friends, Do you like change?
How do YOU deal with it?
I thought I was cool…I thought I was one who ‘rolled with the punches’… so to speak.
I am finding out as I get older that I am not that cool.
I’m learning new things about me.
I apparently don’t like change.
I am older and set in my ways, much like my Mother.
I used to say to myself, I want to be an even better person than my Mother…even though my mother was a great mother, wife, friend…you name it, she was well loved by everyone.
Still, she was not perfect, none of us are…and if I had to choose one of her little quirks NOT to emulate, it would be that she didn’t like change.
I know we are supposed to be resilient and adjust ourselves to change…like when our church decides to sing modern contemporary hymns…no scratch that, they are not ‘hymns as I know them’… although they do have words that sound like hymns…but they are fast and upbeat and sound like a form of metal or rock. (I know that is an exaggeration.)
OK, I understand they are not quite that bad, but they are NOT the slower church hymns that I grew up with, you know the songs like ‘The Old Rugged Cross’ or ‘Rock of Ages’ or ‘Jesus Saves’.
Apparently, I don’t like change.
When I was sick…I didn’t think about grocery shopping because I didn’t want to eat…and certainly didn’t feel like doing any grocery shopping. So as I got better, I started using the instant cart where you order your groceries online…so imagine my shock when I finally did go back in the grocery store only to be able to find…NOTHING.
Oh, the products were there, but just not where they used to be.
Apparently, the people ‘in the know’ (or so they think) decided grocery products needed to be moved from their familiar shelves close to the door to way across the store to a different location.
Example:
Me: “Excuse me, where are the cans of pumpkin?”
Shelf Stocker, not looking away from the Lays potato chips on the shelf and in his hands: “I don’t work here, I just stock the chips.”
Me: “Oh, sorry…”(I then wheel my basket with a noisy, wobbly wheel, pulling to the far right, (apparently the carts never change)…. In search of someone who actually works in the grocery store.)
Me: (encountering another stocker but I have now revised my approach)…“Excuse me, do you work here?”
Young man with apron, moving bottles of pickle relish taken from a stack of boxes blocking half the aisle.: “Yes.”
Me: (Score one for me) “Could you tell me where the cans of pumpkin are now located?”
Young man with thoughtful look wearing the apron: “I just started working here a few days ago. I don’t know where they are.”
Me: “Oh, sorry, I’ll probably find it if I keep looking” I mumble to myself, “they used to be here in the bakery aisle”.
Young man with thoughtful, but so-so grateful facial expression: “Okay” and he continues to move the bread & butter pickles around on the shelf.
Me: (smiling while wondering what ever happened to customer service?) as I wheel the squeaking cart around the corner of the aisle.
Now I decide I should be looking up at the ‘aisle identifiers’ instead of relying on my older method and natural instinct of just wheeling to my items on familiar aisles and shelves.
Apparently, I don’t like change.
And just for the record books, let me throw in one more change that has been around for a long time but still “twirks my jaws….” as we used to say.
This happens more frequently at a drive through, like a fast food or drink place. (McDonalds comes to mind)
I would love to have the clerk, just once, count out my change back to me…Ok, I know I am nit-picking and unfortunately many young people don’t know how to count money back to a customer.
So instead of actually counting it out to me, which allows me to visually and mentally keep track of my change…they, being the clerk, just dump the bills and coins into my hand and hope the single bills don’t blow away with the wind or the loose coins don’t wind up on the driveway beneath my tires. (Which would require me trying to open my car door without banging the wall of the establishment and slithering my body out through the crack in the door and then crawling on the pavement to retrieve bills and or coins! (But that is for another post, PLUS, I’m sure you have already guessed that has happened to me before)
Back on topic, we are talking about being able to count the money back to me.
I understand that the clerk hits a button to tell the cash machine how much money was given and the cash machine tells the clerk how much money to return to the customer….so they ‘dump’ the lump sum in the general area of the customer’s hand. And after a physical “catch”, the customer must then juggle the monies and the purchased cup of coke and get the car moving because there are 10 cars backed up behind, all wanting their large fries and Big Mac!
Now a confession, which I hope will free me of this guilty burden.
There have been times when I have been told my cost is $1.87.
And I give the clerk a five dollar bill and a Nickel and 2 pennies.
The clerk receives the money, with the bill in one hand and the coins in the other and stares at them like they will catch fire and disintegrate at any moment, or at least the clerk hopes they do! Then they don’t have to come up with a solution of what and how to deal with this situation. This is usually accompanied with the clerk’s look of frustration or exasperation, whereas they then ask…”don’t you have a credit card?”
Apparently, I don’t like change!
In fact I believe I have become my Mother, despite my pledge to handle a few things differently.
Excuse me while I go eat a piece of chocolate, grab a cup of coffee and a good book and retreat to my favorite chair.
Oh wait! That is/was my Mother! 🙂
Have a great and Blessed Day!
Philippians 1:6
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
You took the words right out of my mouth!😂 I agree with it all. Sometimes I wonder if we all banded together, those who don’t like those changes, could still sing those songs and shop where we would keep the aisles the same. As a retired church pianist, I would love to play for a group to sing those wonderful hymns.
The hymns are beautiful aren’t they? One of my special favorites is “He is the Healer of broken hearts, He’ll mend your shattered dreams……” nice and slow like a ballad. I used to sing solos, duets and was a member of a ladies sextet as well as a choir. Someday you can play for me and we will sing together. Hugs dear friend.
Dear Kari,
At first, I was rolling on the floor laughing while reading your blog. Then you got really serious. When I was young, I loved change, but I’m 78 and soon to be 79. Now I don’t like it at all. The grocery stores are the worse when it comes to change. I go to Price Chopper the most because they don’t change much at all, and I know where everything is. Their customer service is great. You go to Hy Vee and it’s terrible. They act like they know everything but can’t help you at all.
As for fast food service it is definitely the pits. Kids can’t count your change back at all, but I stand right there and count it for them to make sure they gave me the right change. There have been times I’ve caught a mistake. Ron thinks they’re doing it on purpose and pocketing the extra money. I hope that’s not the case, but he worked in law enforcement after he retired from TWA.
We are being forced to become a cashless society and that’s the way they want it. I’m not sure who They are though. We don’t like the change, but our young people are growing up with it and it will be normal for them.
Yay Jayhawks and what about those Chiefs?
Love you,
Sandy
thank you Sandy….I’m glad you laughed as I was also trying to be humorous while telling it like it is.
Yes….so proud of those Chiefs….and to all the naysayers out there…Super Bowl twice in 4 years speaks for itself. :). How about those CHIEFS!!!!!!!
Also, those Jayhawks are on a roll and according to Lunardi…they should be the overall number 1 seed at the dance….and no matter the outcome, twice at the top of the board in 2 years is pretty good. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
The naysayers for the Chiefs got fooled. lol I think the Jayhawks will make it this year. Like I said the young kids won’t have a problem of these changes like us older ones. Unfortunately, there drawback is they do math, read or think.
What a hoot! I am right with you regarding change. Actually I think I’ve been like that to a certain extent, not just because I am 75 with white hair. ha! I will probably offend numerous ladies but I do not like the rock band music in a sanctuary. I always think of the scripture “Be still and know that I am your Elohim”.
So true Donna….I like to be reverent in regards to the sanctuary. It is true the church are the people in it…we are Christ’s church but I have to admit I am in the minority. Thanks for stopping by.
Dee Dee wrote: That is so true. You have to do everything. Even check yourself in online at Dr
Thanks Dee Dee and you are right. The doctor’s office here requires one to check themselves in and I often wonder how many germs are on the computer screen as you have to use your fingers to put in your info. LOL
Kari, I totally understand your dilemmas. I am not fond of change. As for what they are teaching children in school, no wonder they can’t read or do basic math. Our greatest need is a HEART CHANGE! Have a wonderful day, my friend ♥️
That is so true Pam…and we both know the answer to how to change the HEART!
Mom used to grab a good book to read when she felt frustrated and I find myself doing the same thing. The Bible is such a comfort to life’s dilemmas…as well as reading other books. (I do love to read)
I’m currently reading the book…”Eye to Eye” by William Koenig and it is not only interesting information, but a thoughtful examination on the consequences of dividing Israel.
Have a Blessed day! Hugs
haha Kari! I suggest you just use a credit or debit card, makes life so much simpler! I do worry about the younger generations, they are teaching so much crap in schools these days instead of focusing on the basics like math. As for the grocery store, they move things around to get you to buy more stuff! I shop at Publix and everyone that works there is so nice, if you can’t find something, they will walk you to it! I do use instacart pick up service sometimes, so handy, and also always use Shipt delivery when we’re at the beach house, these changes I love!
Jenna, a credit cards seems to be the answer, but there are low amounts such as a dollar that just don’t seem credit card worthy. LOL I will admit using instant cart saves a lot of frustration and I am willing to pay the additional grocery costs. Sometimes change can be good.
There is a line from a long ago movie (Jr. Bonner) where a lady left her philandering husband and much later, the adult family are all together at a Western type of sports bar that has dancing. The philandering ex asks the lady to dance as a younger ‘chicky-poo’ pushes in and tells the philanderer he promised this dance for her.
The two adult sons tell their Dad, “Isn’t this dance for Mom?”…..and the lady looks at her family and says “Times are changing boys, and I changed them”!!!! LOL. I have always liked that line and admired the lady’s gutsy remark.
So there are circumstances…where change is good.
Blessings dear friend.
I am with ya Sista! I don’t like change either. I have never done well with change but as I get older it really gives me anxiety. Work lately has had a lot of change and it is very stressful. I am counting the days to when I can retire but am also thankful to have a job. I try to go with the flow but it is not always easy. I too prefer the old Hymns I grew up with but understand that in order to appeal to a younger congregation, change has to come. There are so many other things that have changed too. Like where we shop or NOT. So many stores have closed their doors for good. We really do live in a changing world. I guess we have to adapt. 🙁
Yes Lynda we do need to adapt….but for some of us it is very difficult to see our core values going by the wayside.
I feel for the “Mom & Pops” that have lost their businesses especially after so many years of ‘hanging on’! Here in Florida it was a double whammy of the pandemic followed by Hurricane Ian!
Blessings my friend.
I don’t like change at all, maybe it’s my age 68, or that it’s happening everywhere all at once it seems but with groceries I don’t even like to go to a different Publix or Aldi as things aren’t in the same location in every store, I stand there like Dorothy in OZ not knowing where to go. Change counting! I worked many years ago in my friends restaurant and it was amazing that the young people had no idea of how to do this, one young lady forgot to put in the amount tendered, I thought she was going to pass out. I’m sure we will adjust but I may go kicking and screaming. Have a blessed day all!
I hear ya Pam, change is hard for those of our generation. I know I am concerned for our country as our youth (for the most part) will be our future leaders and it is scary. Thanks for stopping by and have a great and Blessed day.
Besides the grocery store gripes, the change at fast food really struck a chord. One time we gave the clerk at Hardees $5.35 for a $3.30 (quarter and dime, didnt havr a nickel). We mustve really thrown her. She gave $1.70 change, amd when we tried to help her, she said she couldn’t count backwards “I have no idea what you’re talking about” and reached for mgr. So, now we strictly us a credit card. That’s just another example of the dummying down of America.
Our Mountineers fell apart, but we’re like junk yard dogs winning last night to OSU. We’ll be at the bottom getting into Madness, if it happens at all. 😒
Rita, I asked a manager the other day of what happened to the customer is always right and she said…”the customer isn’t right”…and she was a fast food manager. And so goes our country.
I am still a little bleary-eyed this morning from staying up late last night and watching the Jayhawks squeak by TCU! Ugh! I don’t like those close games. And now we face your Mountaineers on Saturday! Yikes! Lunardi has WV in the Dance…and I believe you will stay in…I don’t think you have been on the bubble this year as the Big 12 is such a powerful and dominant league….apparently, this year, we are better that those few ‘chosen’ leagues such as the SEC, ACC and BIG EAST. However…we still ‘don’t get no respect’ as Rodney Dangerfield used to say. LOL 😉
Grocery store changes drives me completely NUTS! Why, oh why, do they do it????
Happy Tuesday dear friend!
Oh Nancy I am so glad it is not just me running around the grocery aisles trying to find something. I think the most difficult thing is that the store employees don’t seem to care ….What ever happened to good old customer service? Have a great day my friend. hugs and Blessings.
I am 71 years old, I cain’t say I don’t like change,I HATE CHANGE. I don’t know when it happened but I don’t even know if I still live in a safe,secure or Godly Country. Too much cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccrazy going on. People are not like me, I grew up with morals,love for my brethren, work ethics. God first then everything else next. Bah Bah change.
Darlene I am with you…believe me. Our country has become a place where no one is safe these days from rampant crime and it is because there are no consequences, no responsibility taken for one’s actions. I also believe it is because parents are not teaching their children the basics of life…such as you said …morals, love for our fellow human beings, work ethics and first and foremost our love for God. We must pray for our leaders and lawmakers that they do the right thing in their governing of this country. We must put God first. Thank you for stopping by and giving your input. hugs