Wal-Mart is either the center of the universe or the axis of evil.

I'll start off this post by saying that I went to the doctor yesterday about my ear and found there was no tumor! My hearing has improved somewhat, but the ringing still continues. I'm thankful to God for His healing and feel confident that my complete healing is in my future!

So on to today's ramblings. How did I live for so long before Wal-Mart? Being raised in Key West, you learn to live without things. We had no Wal-Mart, no Target...only a K-Mart and Sears to fill our shopping needs. The nearest Wal-Mart was at least 3 hours north by car so we didn't go that often. However, we would come to Mississippi every vacation we had so we could go then. Wal-Mart stores grow on trees in Mississippi. You don't have to have a Burger King in your town, but if there are more than 2 people and a stoplight, a Wal-Mart is near by.

I don't dislike Wal-Mart like most people. There are many times that I dislike the people that work for Wal-Mart, but I enjoy the other shoppers. I'll never forget when we first moved to Starkville and I went grocery shopping at Wal-Mart and was recognized by another shopper. I finally felt like I had a hometown. Everyone goes to Wal-Mart, so lots of socializing gets done there.

Let's be honest. You could live in Wal-Mart. They pretty much have everything you need to survive, and many things to entertain you. Several years ago, there was a movie called "Career Opportunities" with Jennifer Connelly before she got famous. It takes place in Target, not Wal-Mart, but the concept is the same.They don't live in Target, but have many adventures while being locked in to do the night cleaning. This movie didn't win any awards and most people wouldn't consider it a quality film, but I did enjoy it. If you have nothing else to do, rent it. And of course, another movie that features living in Wal-mart is "Where the Heart Is." This was a good movie too, but I recommend you read the book because it was so much better.

But really I think Wal-Mart is the center of the universe. You see everyone there. As a teacher, this can be both good and bad. It's always fun to push your cart around while children of all ages and sizes say hello to you and call you by name. This may not sound special to you, but when you have no idea who they are, it sort of makes you feel like a rock star. There have been times that I've seen parents of students at Wal-Mart and we've had a parent/teacher conference right there in between the juice and the cookies. Then there are those people that you wish you could avoid but happen to run into them there. Lucky for me, everyone pretty much loves me, so I don't have any known enemies. Then, there are those people who you ONLY see at Wal-Mart. How is this possible? It either means that they live in Wal-Mart, or you do.

Today, I saw Jessica there. We pulled into the parking lot at the same time. Now this isn't that extraordinary, because lately I have either seen or spoken to her everyday. But I don't ever recall seeing her at Wal-Mart. Anyway, she was off to get groceries and I was returning some sunscreen for David that didn't work. I know what you're thinking....how could I stand such excitement? Well, it wasn't easy. I ended up wandering all over the store even though I didn't need anything. That's why I think Wal-Mart may be the axis of evil. There's some sort of magnetism that pulls you through the aisles for things you don't need. On a side note, I did cruise around the school supply section. I do this every year. I sent out my supply lists to my students on a particularly distinctive color. Obviously this is because I'm trying to case out the parents of my students. So far, I haven't run into anyone.

Perhaps you'll see me there..pushing my cart around the aisles with a glazed look on my face. That's okay....they have something for that on aisle 4.