Lost in the Supermarket

Working at a big box retailer affords me the opportunity to bear witness to a microcosm of society. I think the array of people I see everyday represent a pretty balanced look at the populace. And I've seen them all. They run the gamut like the gauntlet. There's the bitter old people, the clueless foreigners and the jaded employees counting the minutes until their next smoke break. There’s the yuppie assholes spending their yuppie money. There's the conservative coupon horders, smiling couples, and my favorite, the young family. Almost always made up of the same basic elements, these nuclear units come complete with two tired parents near the breaking point and their two to three screaming kids. The dad doesn't really care about much. He still talks about all the good times he had 'back in the day' and works long hours at a job he hates. His pay is meager and the only thing he looks forward to is a quiet evening on the couch. Content to play the part of the ambivalent father, he is quick to reply to his kids' requests with "I don't care, ask your mom." The mom typically wears sweatpants and a raincoat. She's often overweight and somewhat ungroomed because she no longer has time for herself; she has kids to look after. Her plight, whether chosen or not, is not one to be envied. She is in a constant state of fatigue. Her prime years cut short by [a possibly] accidental pregnancy and the subsequent child, she’s likely pissed at the world, and perhaps rightly so. This frustration is taken out on her dude; she’s short with the kids. Not everyone knows how hard it is to be a mama. Or a papa, for that matter. But I bet it's pretty hard. Both of their livelihoods are interrupted and sacrifices have to be made for the sake of their children. No more fun for mommy and daddy. The kids are blissfully oblivious to all of this. I find it funny when a kid throws a tantrum because mommy won’t buy him the toy he wants. It’s as if his little world is crumbling around him and he wants everyone within earshot to know it. Clearly, these young families have a tough row to hoe. I feel bad for them; too much too soon.

Watch this SNL sketch, it’s about moms. The best is "i'm not a woman anymore, i'm a mom." But it's a JOKE.