Bullseye

First off, I love Target. It's bad that it is only four blocks away. It's way too convenient and I find myself being their several times each week. I frequent Target so much that I am now quite familiar with their afternoon cashiers. There's Lottie, the sixty-some year old lady who talked to me about her fear of losing her job during the first week after the store opened. There is the the manager lady who actually finds red tops that are flattering and interesting even when combined with the requisite khaki pants. There are the various security guards who I figure must wonder what else could I need from Target every time I come in. Although, then I think, don't flatter yourself, hundreds of people walk in these doors each day.

Anyhow, it's a great store.

Today, while waiting for Lottie to ring up the man in front of me, I was eyeing the conveyor belt. I always find it interesting to look at the variety of things people are buying and then make big assumptions about who they are, what they need those specific items for, etc. So the man was purchasing mostly food. Items included salad in a bag, Lay's potato chips, chocolate candy, a jar of soup (bean, I think), double stuffed Oreo's with peanut butter creme filling (I didn't even know those existed), bread, frozen broccoli, Ben and Jerry's chocolate fudge brownie ice cream, deli cut ham and turkey slices and American cheese singles. He also had a pair of socks, some batteries, several teeny candles (not tea light teeny, but small none the less) and a miniature Irish flag (yes, St. Patrick's Day decorations were already out). Other bits of information I gleamed from him is that he was not wearing a ring, he has a Target credit card and he did not drive (I saw him walking towards the bus stop as I drove away).

So, was this man buying food for tonight and before indulging in all the sweet desserts was he going to have a sensible dinner of soup and salad? Perhaps his daily lunch consists of a meat and cheese sandwich along with a handful of chips. Perhaps, he has a lady (or gentleman) friend and was planning to woo them in candlelight with chocolate deliciousness. Maybe due to all the snow we have received lately, he has run out of clean socks because they keep getting soaked and dirty after all the shoveling he has to do. Could his whole apartment already be decorated in green, white and orange and the flag was just the finishing touch? Or maybe he will take the flag to work and tape it up in his cubicle, proudly displaying his Irish heritage. Maybe he just broke up with someone and is going home to eat the whole pint of ice cream followed by the bag of chocolate, thus putting him into a food stupor and making him forget about Valentine's Day.

I'm sure I could go on, but I think you all have seen far enough into my brain for today.