The other night I was heading to the train after work and was overcome by hunger pangs. I stopped into the nearest Wallgreen’s and grabbed a granola bar. A “Nuts over Chocolate” Luna bar to be exact. While at the counter, foraging around my bag for my wallet, a knock-you-on-your-ass stink swept passed me. I quickly handed over my two bucks and waited, impatiently, for my change, unable to concentrate on anything but the stench. I could feel it seeping into my soul.
As I was racing towards the door, I passed three people covering their faces with their hands. A woman stopped me in my tracks and said, “Do you smell that?!?”
“Yes, I do!” I managed to utter while trying to hold my breath.
“It smells like…” She paused, and looked up, trying to determine the perfect metaphor for the odor. She looked back at me, and said with confidence, “POOP!”
“That pretty sums it up,” I told her while gritting my teeth, trying to keep from gagging. “Have a great night!” I yelled as I pushed myself through the revolving door as quickly as possible, wondering how in hell anyone was managing to stay in the store.
The smell of the stale humid downtown Chicago air was a welcome change. I unwrapped the granola bar and took a bite. Let’s just say I wasn’t feeling all that nuts over chocolate.
The next day the time came for a mid-afternoon snack, but I couldn’t bear to go into that Wallgreen’s. Lucky for me, I work downtown in a major city, so that means there’s a CVS a block away from the Wallgreen's. Yay for excess! As soon as I stepped in, I knew I made the right decision. The Carpenter’s “We’ve Only Just Begun” was filling the aisles. And my heart. I’m not exactly sure what it is about wandering through stores that make soft rock the best music ever, but I can’t get enough of it. When Karen picked up the tempo and busted out, “Sharing horizons that are new to us!” I wanted to clear off a shelf of circus peanuts, stand on it, raise my arms in the air and accompany her at the top of my lungs. This magical moment led me to stop and reflect on other great soft rock while shopping memories. A Dollar Store outing that involved England Dan and John Ford Coley’s hit “Really Love to See You Tonight.” A stop at Kohl's with a sing-along to Carly Simon’s “Comin Around Again.” And countless Jewel trips accompanied by the likes of Billy Joel, Lionel Ritchie, Carole King and, for when they’re really ready to rock out, ELO.
To quote North Jersey's Light FM station, when it comes to the soundtrack for shopping, I like to be "caught somewhere between a rock and a soft place."
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