Off to Kmart We Went, My Grandma and I

When I was young my Grandma always wanted to take me shopping. She always took me to Kmart. Even though it was old and sort of run down, and frankly pretty shabby,  it was her happy place. We went for clothes, we went for shoes, we went for purses, toys, play make up; you name it, she bought it at Kmart, or tried to. We had a Walmart and it was closer, but she went to Kmart and that's where she sent my Grandpa for his shopping.

When I was in elementary school, probably a 4th or 5th grader, Grandpa needed new shoes. The old ones were ratty and not so easy on the eyes. Grandpa went and bought his shoes; shopping went much more quickly when he went by himself. Well, he paid for them and decided to wear them home. Later, when he planned to do some yard work, he began to look for his well worn shoes, and they were nowhere to be found. That's when he realized that he had tried his new shoes on and put the old ones in the box to bring home, but, alas, he left them, in the box, on the shelf at Kmart, paid for his new shoes, and came home empty handed. He was so embarrassed, but Grandpa insisted that he must have those shabby shoes back. He needed them for yard work. He, also, insisted that he would not be the one to go back and retrieve them.

So... off to Kmart we went, my Grandma and I. We walked into Kmart and marched to the back where the shoes were. When we got back there she loudly announced to the man working back there, and anyone else within earshot, that my Grandpa left his ratty old shoes there in a box and we were there to retrieve them. The man looked at us a little oddly as we searched all the boxes to find them. We finally found them and took home our prize. My Grandpa wore those ugly old shoes for ages. I am pretty sure he liked them more than the new shoes.

It was a sad day for my Grandma when Kmart closed and she had to start going to Walmart.... but she adapted and learned to love Walmart, too.