I needed some sweet potatoes. I needed them to serve with a steak dinner, and I needed them in order to add sweet potatoes to my vegetable garden. The sweet potatoes had to be organic if I was to use them in the garden, so I had to venture into the local organic grocer ecosystem. We have a small organic grocery store nearby, but this is not your typical Whole Foods. This store leans to the radical edge of organic food grocers.
As with many businesses that promote saving the planet, the organic grocery store is staffed by folks who are true believers. In anticipation of my adventure into this strange world, I had to blend in so as not to arouse suspicion. In order to maintain calm among the natives I wore my Vibram Five Finger shoes, some sweats and I hadn't brushed my teeth or shaved or put on deodorant. I had to go in with confidence. So I walked in with a distant, spaced-out look on my face. I leisurely ambled over to the produce section. I carefully selected four sweet potatoes. Three to eat, one to use for the garden.
My ruse worked!
I walked up to the only checkout aisle that was open, and I was second in line. A young woman was in front of me with a banana and four dates. She was dressed rather conservatively, in a simple red dress. She had no obvious tattoos, but when I saw her pull out her employee discount card, I understood that she was trying to go out into the world and blend in much as I was trying to do in the organic grocery store. I suspect she entered her native environment for a moment of respite and that the bananas and dates were to be lunch. I did not get too close because I was concerned that I would be found out as an interloper, and out of respect to the conversation she was having with the young man operating the cash register.
The young man behind the cash register had a scraggly beard, long hair pulled up into a type of bun. He was wearing clothing that could have easily been purchased at Whole Earth Provision or Urban Outfitters, and despite only checking out a banana and four dates, the process was a bit of a challenge.
Despite the privacy I tried to give these two in their conversation, I could not help but overhear part of their conversation. I am functional in their native tongue, but not fluent enough to follow the entire conversation, but I did make out one part of the exchange between the two.
Young woman: "Yeah. I like that it's all organic and all, but I wish they could get locally grown bananas."
Young man: "Yeah."
My effort to hide my reaction, which under normal circumstances would have included raucous and nearly hysterical laughter, must have worked. They still did not recognize me as a stranger in their habitat.
As with many businesses that promote saving the planet, the organic grocery store is staffed by folks who are true believers. In anticipation of my adventure into this strange world, I had to blend in so as not to arouse suspicion. In order to maintain calm among the natives I wore my Vibram Five Finger shoes, some sweats and I hadn't brushed my teeth or shaved or put on deodorant. I had to go in with confidence. So I walked in with a distant, spaced-out look on my face. I leisurely ambled over to the produce section. I carefully selected four sweet potatoes. Three to eat, one to use for the garden.
My ruse worked!
I walked up to the only checkout aisle that was open, and I was second in line. A young woman was in front of me with a banana and four dates. She was dressed rather conservatively, in a simple red dress. She had no obvious tattoos, but when I saw her pull out her employee discount card, I understood that she was trying to go out into the world and blend in much as I was trying to do in the organic grocery store. I suspect she entered her native environment for a moment of respite and that the bananas and dates were to be lunch. I did not get too close because I was concerned that I would be found out as an interloper, and out of respect to the conversation she was having with the young man operating the cash register.
The young man behind the cash register had a scraggly beard, long hair pulled up into a type of bun. He was wearing clothing that could have easily been purchased at Whole Earth Provision or Urban Outfitters, and despite only checking out a banana and four dates, the process was a bit of a challenge.
Despite the privacy I tried to give these two in their conversation, I could not help but overhear part of their conversation. I am functional in their native tongue, but not fluent enough to follow the entire conversation, but I did make out one part of the exchange between the two.
Young woman: "Yeah. I like that it's all organic and all, but I wish they could get locally grown bananas."
Young man: "Yeah."
My effort to hide my reaction, which under normal circumstances would have included raucous and nearly hysterical laughter, must have worked. They still did not recognize me as a stranger in their habitat.
