Not my Favorite Place to Shop

Today I went to Walmart. I don’t shop at Walmart and avoid it at all costs. If I need anything from there, I order it online and have it delivered. It has worked fine. Therefore, when my 81-year-old father asked me to take him to Walmart, I cringed but took him, anyway. My idea was to drop him off at the entrance and let him shop while I waited in the parking lot. Then I thought about how dangerous it can be for him. It would be like a baby dangerously crawling around a buffalo stampede, so I opted to go in with him.

Courtesy is no Longer Existent

It’s difficult to walk around Walmart taking tiny baby steps with an 81-year-old. People have little to no patience and shove their way between you and others just to get one of the hundreds of canned corn or whatever they are so desperate for. That’s when I stay close by to protect my father from getting shoved or pushed to the ground. People leave their carts in the middle of the aisle to grab an item when there’s clearly plenty of space for two carts. Some even give you a dirty look when you say, “Excuse me” to get through. The employees are no exception at all. They stand in the aisles and are bothered if we gather an item which they are replacing or if we ask them a question. I’m sure it’s not all of them, unfortunately, I haven’t come across any who are not.

Baby Steps — Forever Steps

My father needed only a few things, twelve items to be exact. It took us an entire hour to gather those twelve items. Not only because they’re scattered throughout the store, but because of the baby steps we were taking. If I was tired of taking those baby steps, I can’t imagine how my father felt.

Ready to Check Out

After gathering all the items, we headed towards the cash registers. They were full, but since we only had twelve items, we could use the 20 items or fewer register. Woo-hoo! But wait, why is it so slow? Never mind, we’re in Walmart. There’s little to no courtesy or consideration here. Let alone people who take their time to read where it clearly states, “20 ITEMS OR FEWER.” So there we were at the 20 items or fewer line waiting for the couple with 40+ items to finish.

A Good Deed

The gentleman behind us asked if he could cut in front since he only had three items. “Please do, sir,” I responded. It would not bother me to let him pass. He kindly thanked me and replied, “You are not from here. People here are not polite. Where are you from?” See, even he realized people are not courteous here. We chit-chatted a bit until he was ready to check out. Once he checked out, it was our turn and I could not be happier.

Yes, today I took my elderly father to Walmart. The place I dislike shopping at the most. Not only are the social media memes about Walmart accurate, but there’s also a lack of courtesy or respect. It is unfortunate we have succumbed to this level within society. I sure hope people begin to shift their awareness to a politeness level and that I don’t have to go to Walmart ever again.

No Candles at Home

I recently began using scented candles in my home. I stopped using these about 15 years ago because my husband could not stand the scented candles. He claimed these scents triggered migraine headaches. Of course, I did not want my husband to suffer through these horrific headaches, so I opted to not use them anymore. But, while at the Farmer and Artisan’s Marketplace in Kissimmee, Florida, I came across a kiosk of locally hand-poured candles by the name of Vista Candle Co. Since I no longer bought scented candles, I thought it’d be nice to just take a whiff of the aromatic candles.

Vista Candle Co. banner — photo by author

A Female Owned Local Company

Vista Candle Co. is a home-based, local company in Orlando, Florida, owned and operated by a young, female healthcare worker. As a healthcare worker and lover of candles, she ventured out to create something that would help her destress after work during the COVID-19 pandemic. She quickly realized that, just as candles help her relax and decompress after a long stressful day at work, it can also help others. Hence her creation took form. She created these candles with a soy and paraffin blend, high-quality essential oils, and uses a wood wick for the smaller ones.

Elegant Kiosk with Varied Scents

As we approached the kiosk, a lovely young couple greeted us. Their setup was simple but elegant and displayed the tin candles, glass candles, and some wax melts. There were also some open scent samplers for visitors to try. Did you know that after sniffing aromas you can sniff coffee beans to cleanse your nasal palate? I did not know that was a thing until I saw the coffee beans at the kiosk. Curiosity got to me. I asked the young lady about the beans and she explained that after smelling a few candle samples, you might suffer temporary olfactory fatigue. If you take a sniff of the coffee beans, you can continue sniffing candles without missing out on their irresistible aromas. Why had I not heard of that before?

Kiosk at Farmers and Artisan’s Market — photo by author

I Am Buying Candles!

While I explored the aromatic scents, I noticed that my husband was doing the same. I reminded him of his experience with scented candles. He responded, “I like these scents.” No need to tell me twice. I grabbed three — Palo Santo+Sage, White Sage+Lavender, and Pumpkin Chai. At home, I use the Palo Santo+Sage and White Sage+Lavender while meditating. The candle aroma eases me into a deep meditation, making the experience more vivid and relaxing. And the Pumpkin Chai burns during the day, which takes me back to days of family gatherings and Thanksgiving.

Easy Christmas Shopping For Me!

After trying them at home, I thought they would make splendid gifts and have since ordered more online. The ones I ordered are Cozy Flannel, White Birch, Hansel & Gretel, and Christmas Hearth. I think I might add some other scents for Christmas gifts and myself. Aromatic candles are perfect for setting the mood for any event or relaxing and make wonderful gifts for any occasion. After all, who doesn’t like scented candles?

Much Success to this Company

I admire the creativity and determination of this young woman to venture out and create a company amidst the global pandemic. This approach alone was one reason I continue to purchase candles from this company, along with the fact that it’s a young, female healthcare worker entrepreneur. I wish her success in this endeavor. Thank you Vista Candle Co. for your amazing product.