The other day I went to the grocery store. One of the items on my list was jam. This seemed like a pretty straightforward errand, easily completed. Until I stood with my shopping cart in front of the jam section at my local Ralph’s.
This store was new to me and I was curious to see what they had, as I was in the mood to try something different . So I passed up the first jar of strawberry jam I saw and scanned the shelves for other choices. I quickly realized I was in deep trouble.
There were probably 10 or 12 different brands and each brand had about 5 or 6 kinds and each kind a sub-kind….etc. Jams with no sugar, jams without seeds, jams with seeds. Imported, domestic and mystery jams. Several sizes of jars and I had a choice between organic and chemical filled. Jams mixed with peanut butter. Jelly from Hungary, England and Spain. Marmalade, lemon curd, grape, current, cherry, pineapple, apricot, raspberry, strawberry, plum, mint, apple butter, apple jelly, peach, blackberry, loganberry, and boysenberry. I felt myself breaking out in a cold sweat.
Then I started comparing prices ! I was paralyzed with indecision.
I became aware that I had been standing there with what was probably a particularly vacant look on my face. I grabbed a jar of strawberry, my usual brand even, and bolted for the checkout stand. I haven’t been down that aisle since, but my jar of strawberry is already getting low. . . I should have bought two of them, because now I am going to have to go back.
And I’m feeling like trying something different. . . .
This store was new to me and I was curious to see what they had, as I was in the mood to try something different . So I passed up the first jar of strawberry jam I saw and scanned the shelves for other choices. I quickly realized I was in deep trouble.
There were probably 10 or 12 different brands and each brand had about 5 or 6 kinds and each kind a sub-kind….etc. Jams with no sugar, jams without seeds, jams with seeds. Imported, domestic and mystery jams. Several sizes of jars and I had a choice between organic and chemical filled. Jams mixed with peanut butter. Jelly from Hungary, England and Spain. Marmalade, lemon curd, grape, current, cherry, pineapple, apricot, raspberry, strawberry, plum, mint, apple butter, apple jelly, peach, blackberry, loganberry, and boysenberry. I felt myself breaking out in a cold sweat.
Then I started comparing prices ! I was paralyzed with indecision.
I became aware that I had been standing there with what was probably a particularly vacant look on my face. I grabbed a jar of strawberry, my usual brand even, and bolted for the checkout stand. I haven’t been down that aisle since, but my jar of strawberry is already getting low. . . I should have bought two of them, because now I am going to have to go back.
And I’m feeling like trying something different. . . .