Observing the World from My Car,
In a Meijer Parking Lot

One cold, dreary, November morning, I dragged myself out of bed, bumbled around the house. Once I’d found my winter coat and searched for my car keys, my boyfriend and I got into the car, and I drove him to work. When we exited the highway, he mentioned that he needed to stop and pick up something for lunch. A few blocks later, I turned into a Meijer parking lot, positioned my car in front of the store, and attempted to stay awake, while my boyfriend went inside. I observed an older, thin, white woman, who wore a blue and white sweat suit and tennis shoes, walk what seemed to be an extensive distance from her car to the sidewalk to leave her cart. I wondered why she had traveled so far to desert the cart in a place it didn’t belong, because the cart station was only a few feet away from her vehicle and she’d looked as if she were in great shape—or at least good enough shape to place the cart in its rightful area.
No more than two minutes later, I noticed an even older, heavier woman, with curly white hair, walking, slowly—her steps assisted by a tall, twisted, wooden cane. Her eyes were half opened, lips curled into a frown, though she’d just begun her journey from the car to the entrance of the store. She struggled to hold her cane in one hand and a large, brown pocketbook in the other, while keeping her balance in the cold, rough wind. Her eyes smiled as they latched onto the abandoned cart a few feet in front of her. Relieved once she’d reached it, the old woman leaned forward, rested her weight on the shopping cart, and moved with ease. I imagine she thanked God for that blessing that others might have taken for granted.
Unknowingly, I smiled. Once I realized I was smiling, I looked around to see if anyone had seen me watching the woman, and pretended to straighten my hair. I continued looking at the woman, through my rearview mirror, until she’d disappeared into the store. I searched the parking lot for another lesson, but wasn’t successful.
There I was casting judgment on the first woman: thinking she was simply being lazy and careless; especially since the wind could have easily blown the stray cart through the parking lot, and could have potentially rolled in front of someone’s moving vehicle. Although, I may have been right in my judgment, her carelessness aided someone else in a time of need. There was a greater plan in progress: one that I couldn’t fathom, until I witnessed it unfold.
My boyfriend grabbed the handle to the car door and opened it. When he got in and closed the door, I drove across the parking lot, away from the store. I had to maneuver around a shopping cart that rested in the path of my car. “Some people are such idiots” my boyfriend stated in a frustrated tone. “Whoever left that there could have easily pushed it out of the way, and been a little considerate of other people.” I smiled: realized that just moments ago, I would have agreed with him and been frustrated as well.

A Learning Process 4 All


Sometimes, we feel as though our parents do not understand where we are coming from. However, we also fail to realize our parents' position. Our way of thinking is selfish. We do not stop to notice that our parents did not get a chance to practice being parents before we came along. This is our first time being young adults and this is their first time raising young adults. Our parents may figure out, later, that they could have handled a situation differently and make note to change the way they handle it in the future. However, it is NEVER our position to bring that to their attention. Whether or not we agree with a decision that is made, we are to obey and honor them only.

When we get into something, our parents, probably, think about how their parents handled a similar situation and how they felt about the situation that was made. Then, they decide how they should handle the situation with us. Afterwards, if they feel that their way was effective, they will continue to do things that way. If they find that their way was not a success, they will figure out a different way of handling things. I am almost sure when we become parents, we will do some of the same things.

I used to feel like I was at a disadvantage, because my parents would handle things with me one way and would not do the same with my younger siblings. In a way, the oldest children are the guinea pigs, because parents experiment with us. Once our parents are comfortable with making parenting decisions, they let up on some things with the other children or crack down on them when it comes to something else. Things will get better though, if we all work together. So, let us cut our parents some slack. We are all learning together.