The liberal line at WalMart

 What a wonderful day at WalMart!  I don’t get to say that very often.

I was feeling kind of bored and lonely, so I decided to go shopping. I learned that from my wife years ago. I spent part of the day reminiscing with old photos and video of us when she was still living.

Not only that, but I have been on a keto diet for about a year, due to weight and heart trouble, and I was having a carb attack. Specifically, I craved some corn chips with salsa. 

So I binged today. I told myself if I only do this once a year, it shouldn’t hurt me too bad!

I was surprised at the number of shoppers at 3:00 on a Monday afternoon. Most of them were not wearing masks or keeping a distance. This town is a conservative bunch, so that didn’t surprise me at all.

I got my groceries and went toward the checkout row. There was a long line of carts backed up to the fresh fruit and vegetables section waiting for the self check machines. I cut through there and headed for the live checkers. WalMart doesn’t pay me enough to do my own checking.

All the checkout lines were full, and most of them had carts loaded up like they were shopping for a month.

But hey! Look at checkout line  #4! Only two other carts in that line, with just a few items in the cart just like myself.

I looked down toward the checker, and there was a nice looking young black man with natural Afro hair wearing a mask. He was a little slow and unsure of himself, like he had just been hired.

I also immediately noticed that everybody in this checkout line was wearing a mask to avoid spreading the virus. I hadn’t been, but I had one folded in my back pocket, so I took it out and put it on! 

I was vaccinated back in February, so I’m safe from serious illness, but it is perfectly possible that I could breathe in the virus and pass it along to others who might be still at risk. The joker during this pandemic was finding out that people with no symptoms can pass on the virus and infect others.

Kudos to WalMart for having a line just for liberals! They should do that everywhere. As he finished checking each person out, they all wished him a good day, and thanked him. I did the same and made sure to call him by name. Kaleb. Good man!

I have some idea of what it feels like to be the only one of your color in a room. I had some of my buddies in the Army invite me out for drinks at a black bar in Koza, Okinawa, back in 1966. Even though I was with friends and Army buddies, I still felt strangely out of place. Even though they were celebrating with me and buying my beers! 

Yep, it was a great day at WalMart. I may shop there more often, now that I‘ve found the liberal line!