Surviving The Season

We did it. We dined local. Does that qualify for doing our share in the 'shop small' effort? Craving a good burger following Thanksgiving day weekend, my husband and I ventured out to 'Five Guys' for a hearty hamburger and awesome fries. Five Guys isn't as big as McDonald's and feels 'local' to me. It's probably the L-trytophan that is clouding my thinking because the people working at Five Guys are certainly not earning nearly enough profits as the franchise owners!

Middletown, CT is a short ride away. As we pulled into the restaurant parking lot, five police cruisers race by. It's anyone's guess what is going on. We barely had begun to enjoy the salt in the fries, when the flashing lights of police cruisers shone through the plate glass. A posse of about six cars were within view as we ate.

A cop on foot soon enters the front door and is actively performing a spot check. We realize whatever happened is still happening. A robbery no doubt. The police officer checks both the men's and women's bathrooms and leaves quickly.

The internet tells us an armed robbery at Walgreens across from Five Guys prompted the sirens and cruisers. Now 24 hours after the deed was done, the perpetrator was apprehended. A 48-year old man walked into the store, punched the clerk a few times and took off with some cash. Wow I'm just glad he didn't fire a gun. For all we know anything can happen anytime. People are desperate. The holidays have started their unending push to entice buying endless amounts of stuff - because for many, that is what the season has become.

A story about a California shopper using pepper spray in a Walmart has surrendered. What the heck are people thinking? Is buying stuff a few bucks cheaper the reason to assault strangers? Why is having an Xbox video game console so important?

Holidays or not, spending money shouldn't be something you now have to worry about beyond whether you can afford it or not.