I've spent a good amount of time thinking about what exactly I hope to accomplish with this whole blog, and the truth is that I'm honestly not all that sure. I do know this, the natural grocery store I work for is a fascinating place. It can be, at times hilarious, and at times tragic. There isn't much of a real way to know what I'm going to get each day that I walk in through that front door but most of the time I can rest assured that it will be interesting, and more often than not I find myself wishing I could just sit back, bourbon in hand, and enjoy the various humorous goings on that I experience in an 8 hour time period. I guess that just about says what you need to know, this blog is a look at the environment where I work. Before I launch into the description of my store, please understand that I'm not some sort of "shock jock"blogger looking to making everybody who disagrees with me out to be some sort of cosmic idiot. But, rather that I've noticed people tend to take themselves a little too seriously most of the time, and some of the behaviors and notions that come out of that self-righteousness...well, funny.
Alright...on to it. I work in a store that sits in the midst of neighborhood with it's own flag. I'm not kidding, I've seen people sporting sweatshirts, tee-shirts, bumper stickers, I'm pretty sure that somewhere there is an abundance of shot glasses, and bongs sporting the cherished neighborhood logo. It's odd enough that the 'hood has a logo, but the flag really and paraphernalia really take it to that next level of cool. So, on this flag there is a skull that is framed in by three bones (kind of like a house of sorts). Flags, being symbolic by nature, of course have their underlying meanings. What are we to determine from this flag......that the humble store in which I work is located in a neighborhood that houses pirates. If you think that's a little over the top....we've got a dude with a hook. Yup....not a prosthetic hand....a large, sharp hook. We affectionately call him "Lefty". He's a pretty chill, matter of fact dude that, for the most part just wants to go about his business and drink PBR from time to time. Oddly enough, Lefty...the dude with the hook mind you, in my mind stands out as one of more normal fixtures of the neighborhood. It's not uncommon to see people strolling down the street in knickers with top-hats, dressed up as animals, or other sundry mystical creatures.... fairy wings don't even stand out to me anymore honestly, oh, and let's not forget the random naked people on bikes experience. In the midst of the more colorful neighborhood expressions are your average work-a-day (or do-something-a-day) hippies. But, you'll have plenty of time to hear about the neighborhood, let's talk about the store itself.
Right, smack dab in the middle of all this free-wheeling, co-op living, fairy wing wearin, naked bike riding, glass blowing neighborhood sits our little natural grocery store. It's a pretty cool place to be honest, were you to go the first thing you'd see would be a sizable table with oranges, pineapples, mangoes, tomatoes, and some crazy freakin fruit that nobody apart from our awesome produce dudes know about. Seriously, I can even look at vegetable in other stores anymore....it's awesome. We've got a solid beer, and wine selection, a deli case with handmade sandwiches, fresh pressed raw juices, tuna salad, and weird spreads that I make in the deli with my minions. Everything we sell is either crazy eco-conscious recycled stuff (to think that the kleenex your wiping your nose with was once a tire, magazine...or worst case scenario a diaper), super organic-weknowthefarmers-produces. Alternative coconut based ice cream, and freakin tofu to your hearts desire if non-meat protein is your thing. I manage the deli in this smorgusboard of earth friendly, organic, fair-trade, shade grown, shrink wrapped abundance, and honestly I'm proud of what we can do back there: Coffee, sandwiches, raw bottled fruit and veggie juices, we make our own soups, and sandwich specials, we bake scones and cookies, and package a plethora of awesome dried fruit and what have you. Every once in awhile when we get the hankerin to make something extra awesome I''ll try to post some pictures for ya.
So in the midst of these two environments is me.....a traditional Protestant campus minister. I grew up mostly on a small ranch in rural Northern California with two parents who both worked 40+ hours a week. Our landlord was a WWII veteran from the Marine Corps, and my grandfather was a retired Navy Commander. All that to say, my upcoming was pretty traditionally American, and perhaps slightly like a Steinbeck novel. If I wasn't playing Super Mario Bros, I was probably fishing in the pond, or walking the back 40 in search of a stupid lamb that wandered off to get caught in a fence. I've been described by a good friend as "radically traditional", I dig the Bible, and the Westminster Confession of Faith. I think the Constitution is pretty cool as it is right now, I still listen to tired old 90's music, and will argue with anybody who has a bad word to say about CCR, the Smashing Pumpkins, or The Guess Who. So really, it's pretty hilarious that I work where I do, but we seem to all get along for the most part. So, there it is....the background for some hilariously poignant anecdotal bloggage. Stay tuned for the first installment: "How Organic is your Turkey?"
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