©
2022, the Institute for Applied Common Sense
If only our nation’s leaders were as sharp as 7 – 11 executives.
I’ve alluded to the importance 7 – 11 has played in my life-
particularly during my return to Southern California.
I considered naming this post, “Things I Learned, or Had
Affirmed During the Past Few Months.”
However, after reflecting on my trip to 7 -11 a couple of weeks ago, I
thought that I should pay tribute to the true source of the inspiration.
I have lived in numerous locations and patronized different 7 –
11s to get a sense of the demographics, while trying to figure out where I
should land permanently. My Father taught
me to look in the classified ads to gain a sense of a community. In my effort to use more cutting-edge
technological tools, I simply go to a 7 - 11.
I missed this refuge during 16 years in North Carolina, since
they are few and far between. The Southern
California store which I first visited always has two clerks, and an amazing
array of “junk.” You’ve never seen so
much sugar assembled, of every imaginable color, consistency, price – prompting
patrons to spend hours perusing 5 aisles, seeking that one, special, fuel
injection. Imagine a junk food version of Walmart SuperCenter.
When I first visited that property, I made a foolish comment to
one of the clerks regarding the scientific marketing approach to everything
that was in the store, having just read an article about warehousing and
inventory. She disabused me of that notion rather quickly. She said bean counters were constantly
changing their approach, which she regarded as a waste of time.
I routinely find the homeless at these locations, since the
clerks are always willing to engage them. The clerks themselves are an
interesting bunch, prepared to deal with virtually any calamity which might pass
through the door. One of the clerks was
a man about 21 years of age, who wore a Bruce Lee T – shirt.
As is my wont, upon encountering 20 something folks wearing
shirts of some kind reflecting 1960s and 1970s icons, I asked my classic
question, “And what does a young fella like you know about _________. You are too young to know anything about
Bruce Lee, or perhaps Bob Marley?” Yet,
they always reveal that I am the fool. My
latest clerk simply informed me, “I learned how to fight from Bruce Lee.”
He went on to describe his matriculation watching Bruce Lee
films (or videos).
I refrained from watching videos for the past 14 years, not
wanting to waste my time while they buffered up, and I suffered the ads. I heretofore argued that I could read text 4
times as fast. Despite being a member of
the Triad Audio Visual Group for years, I continued to express my resistance to
videos.
But them something significant happened about 2 months ago. I discovered the healthy line of foods put
out by 7 – 11. In particular, I found a green colored, cold pressed, not from concentrate drink, and fell in love with its mint flavor. It occurred to me that instead of bitching
and moaning about how people didn’t share my values, I needed to embrace the
times and make a change. I needed to
reach across the 7 – 11 aisle and find the healthy products and start watching
videos.
Then I realized the 7 – 11 executives were way ahead of me. They started their healthy drink line 4 years
ago.
Amazing what one finds when one takes time to leave one’s
comfort zone and check out what others have to offer. Over the past couple of years, I’ve
encountered people who, in pursuit of the goals of comfort and security, are no
longer to even venture near a rabbit hole.
Knowing that I am still willing to at least entertain the notion of
alien abductions, without Dana Scully being around, is perhaps the most
important thing that I have learned about myself over the past several months –
I’ll just keep on looking out for them.
Now I appreciate that the clerk may have been wrong about the
waste. Being willing to entertain those
who think differently just MIGHT be a good thing for an old man as I approach
71 years on the planet.
P.S. Those of you still interested in viewing Gillian Anderson on occasion might check out The Fall.
