This Won't Make You Want a Flu Shot ...

During my weekly grocery trip to socialize shop at Giant, I overheard a customer at the flu shot clinic gently rib the pharmacist, “It’s probably not a good idea to give out pens with the word ‘hearse’ on them to fill out flu shot forms.”

The pharmacist sheepishly smiled. “Oops – I didn’t realize the pen said ‘hearse’. Do you want another one?”

The customer replied good-naturedly, “Nah, it’s okay. I assume I won’t need one because of the shot.”

I wondered if the customer meant a pen or a hearse!

I also saw many people pushing carts with PILES of green Harris Teeter bags! Perhaps they all encountered the same HT representative at Olney Community Night that I did and like me, they couldn’t say no.

What's on the Bag?

As I noted in an earlier post "Social Giant", I usually shop at Giant but occasionally visit one of the other three grocery stores in town. One of those establishments, Harris Teeter, hosted a table by the exhibit hall entrance at last week’s Olney Community Night.  As I shuffled behind the crowd entering the exhibit hall, I couldn’t help but pause in front of the table. Despite trying to avoid any eye contact, I couldn’t pass the table quickly or stealthily enough.

"Would you like one?" the Harris Teeter representative greeted me, holding out a green Harris Teeter cloth bag. I hesitated and -- as silly as this may sound -- panicked mildly. I thought, 'Augh! I seldom shop at Harris Teeter! I don't want to appear disloyal while shopping at Giant!'

Not wanting to be ungracious, I smiled and accepted the bag quietly. When I returned home, I gave the Harris Teeter bag to my husband to stash in his car. I figure 1) he rarely grocery shops and 2) even if he does and visits Giant, he’ll look like the traitor, not me!

Does anyone else ever worry about shopping in one store while carrying a cloth bag emblazoned with another store's name?