Going to the Market

I've never liked grocery shopping. Actually, I've always hated it a little. The florescent lights, the overwhelming rows of product after product all make me feel claustrophobic. I particularly dislike when I can't find the normal product and all I see are the "low-carb" or "reduced fat" versions. The only grocery shopping I ever did enjoy was going to the farmer's market. I got to get outside, get fresh foods, and interact with people. In the grocery store, the customers are harried and impolite and the workers simply don't want to be there. Overall it was an unpleasant experience.

Today, however, I realized how much over the past month and a half I've found myself enjoying grocery shopping. I've been walking from my apartment to Pike's Place to get fresh fruit, veggetables, and even more. I suppose this is because Pike's is more like a farmer's market and indeed has farmer's stands on most days. Even on the chilly or wet days it is infinitely more enjoyable to walk through the market. Everyone there appears to be enjoying themselves. I no longer dread getting food each week. I see it as an outing, a way to join in society, and connect myself to the world around me.

Perhaps grocery stores represent many of our issues with food. It has become a chore and a missed opportunity for social interaction rather than enjoyable (eating as well as gathering). The grocery store holds processed products that have become more and more distant from the foods we find in farmer's markets. For me at least, enjoying the process of purchasing the food I eat has made the eating more enjoyable. I imagine that extends further when you harvest the food yourself. However, until I have outdoor space I'll enjoy the market.