GSW - What Are We Buying Into?

Actually, this particular Grocery Store Wisdom story comes from my husband. He shared it with me a couple of days ago. So I thought I’d write about it here. I know you won’t mind a borrowed story. :)

In the grocery store you expect to buy things – food and assorted other products. You expect to see ads nearly everywhere. They are hanging from the ceiling, in the store windows, affixed to the shelves. The shopping carts are adorned with ads, not all related to food, but for Insurance salesmen and Realtors. And over the last few years I’ve seen ads adhered to or painted on the floor, all in an attempt to get our attention and get us to buy a particular brand or product. For the most part I have been able to actually look past them. They are just there. But it’s getting to be a little more ‘in your face’ lately. The cashiers in the larger chain stores are asking if you want any ice or cigarettes, as well as soliciting a donation for the current charity that the grocery store is sponsoring. For the most part I ignore those too, except to donate the paltry bag refund to a local school for bringing my own bags.

Anyway, my husband made the usual weekly trip to the small chain health food store where we buy our water and other hard to find grocery items. He related to me that when he got to the check out stand the conveyor belt had actually been turned into one huge rolling ad. The ad was for our local energy company that supplies our gas and electric. The ad was a large picture of a woman holding her hand over her nose and mouth, looking startled. He said the ad was supposed to be some kind of PSA to warn people of the poisonous gases escaping into our environment. This is the same place where people place their food items, and supplements! I mean really folks. What are we buying into here?! It appears we are buying into the collective fear. Both he and I were actually surprised that this small grocery chain had bought into this kind of fear-based advertising. Yes, it’s important to be aware. It’s important to be informed. But this, for us, is a little too much ‘in your face’ already. Evidently several customers have made negative comments about the ad, and the cashiers don’t like it either. So what were the owners of this chain thinking when they agreed to do this? Implanting fear in the psyche is not really a commodity I want to be reminded of every time I go to the grocery store… Being faced with this image of a fearful woman covering her face does not promote health and well being. But there it is – in your face…

And now for another PSA - from the ridiculous to the ridiculous.

While we were talking about the above story, my husband also related this story from a trip he made to visit his mother in a small town in New Mexico a couple of months ago. He said that while they were in the grocery store he noticed that there was a continuous announcement being played over the store loud speaker the whole time he was there, which was about 20 mins. He said the ads were for local realtors and businesses that just played over and over and over. In a 20 min time period he said he heard the same ad for the same realtor 4 times! I mean, Muzak is less offensive than this! Or am I just being cranky today? :) Not enough inner Stillness in my diet lately…

So in my crankiness I ask: What is this need for constant, deadening stimulation? What is the need for fear-based selling? Something tells me it’s corporate greed actually. CEO’s keeping us hooked on stimulation like a caffeine fix, feeding the compulsive, fear-based nature of the conditioned mind to want, want, want. And so collectively we buy into it – evidently. When we are entangled in the mind with its wanting, needing, having to have, we pay attention to the externals that are telling us what we need in order to live ‘the good life’ – or what we need to fear that might keep us from “the good life.” It doesn’t feed the corporate coffers to sell Stillness or Serenity aka: Presence – Awareness - Beingness… (Well on second thought, maybe it does!) Can you imagine your shopping experience if the CEO’s ran their businesses from a place of inner Stillness, aka - the space of Knowing Awareness – awakened Consciousness? Just imagine your favorite spiritual teacher as a CEO of your grocery store. That would be a whole different experience…

What are we buying into and why…? From the everyday experiences to the spiritual path, what are we paying attention to? Are we buying from the fearful mind, or from the Heart of Stillness? As for me, it’s still some and some as I continue to steep in this pot called Life…

Heart Smiles – MeANderi
www.ASerenitySanctuary.com