I’m still ashamed of this stupid supermarket incident
Everyone knows those moments of inattention. Shavon experienced this while on holiday in America. While grocery shopping, she saw someone snatch her groceries from the conveyor belt. ‘I couldn’t believe my eyes! Was someone really shamelessly stealing my groceries?! I could have thought a little more carefully about my reaction. I’m still ashamed.’
‘Ideally, I’d like to say that I had jet lag and therefore wasn’t very alert. But honestly: I’d already been in San Francisco for a week, so that wasn’t the reason. It is true that I wasn’t completely focused. I was having one of those days… you know the kind, when your mind is incredibly busy, you’re thinking about a thousand things at once and you can’t see the bigger picture. Besides, it was my first time in such a large American supermarket. I didn’t know how things worked here at all. But still, let me not make excuses: my reaction was completely inappropriate and humiliating, perhaps most of all for me…
Caught red-handed
I was walking through the gigantic American supermarket – visiting supermarkets abroad is one of my favorite parts of a holiday – because I wanted to buy some things to take back to the Netherlands. As always, the checkout line was long, and I stood there impatiently with my cart full of items. When it was finally my turn, I started placing my groceries on the conveyor belt. American dressing, weird candy, unusual spice blends… all things that aren’t available in the Netherlands, or cost ten times as much.
I was ready to pay when I suddenly saw that the woman standing next to me was putting my items in her bag without saying a word. I thought to myself: “What is she doing? Is she trying to steal my groceries?!” My heart started beating faster and I felt adrenaline coursing through my body. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Was I really catching a thief red-handed?
‘These are my groceries, keep your hands off them!’
I was completely stunned, but I’m not one to keep quiet. I didn’t hesitate for a moment and immediately shouted: “What are you doing? Those are my groceries! Keep your hands off them right now!” The woman looked at me in surprise, as if she didn’t understand what I meant. Oh, so that’s how we’re going to play it, I thought immediately. So I turned to the cashier: “I don’t know whether this is normal, but I’m literally being robbed in broad daylight, so shamelessly out in the open!” But instead of security being called over immediately, the cashier looked at me just as blankly.
Then the woman next to me calmly said: “Oh, sorry, I work here and help pack people’s groceries. The line is so long, so I thought I could help you for a moment.” At that moment, I felt incredibly uncomfortable. There I was, with my cheeky Dutch directness. Ready to accuse someone of stealing, while she was actually a member of the supermarket staff and was simply being friendly and helpful. I felt myself turning red – purple, you might say – with embarrassment and stammered out a few apologies, while I could have kicked myself. How could I have been so stupid as to think someone wanted to steal my groceries? How could I not have realized that things work differently in supermarkets here than they do back home?
Assuming the worst
What affected me most was her reaction. Instead of being angry or offended, she smiled and calmly continued packing the groceries. I felt so small and ashamed. How could I have so quickly assumed the worst? Why was my first thought that she was a thief, instead of someone who was simply trying to do something kind?
After I had paid for my groceries, I explicitly thanked her once more for her help and left the supermarket with a lesson I won’t soon forget. It’s so easy to think the worst of people in the heat of the moment. I don’t want to be that kind of person. Not everyone means harm, no matter how easy that may be to think with all the misery in the world. Most people care about one another and want to help each other.’
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Shavon’s name has been changed for privacy reasons. Her real name is known to the editorial team. Would you also like to share a personal story (anonymously!)? You can email us at info@favorflav.com
