So I went to Walmart today, which is one of my least favorite places to be, but I needed cat litter and it’s cheap there. In case you’re wondering. Yes, I have a cat. Anyway. I see the brand I normally get and spot a box with the word “new” on it, and to my excitement, it also reads, “get 3 lbs. free.” (Obviously, it doesn’t take much to make me happy these days.) I saw no reason to doubt my good fortune wasn’t true and joyfully picked up a 28 lb. box for the same price as a 25 lb. one by its handy carrying strap, and went on my merry way to the checkout register.
However, on my way there, before I could even start anticipating how long the line may be—I believe Walmart has a rule where only two registers are allowed open until the number of customers reaches 100— the top tore completely off. This left me holding only a thin rectangular piece of cardboard by the handy carrier strap I mentioned, while the box laid on its side with what was probably the extra 3 lbs. of litter spilled out all over the floor.
I found a worker and informed them of what happened and where the spill was, and after he enthusiastically responded…“OK,” this time I decided to use a shopping cart to get another 28 lb box of cat litter.
I ended up paying for it at the pharmacy section, which I don’t like doing; it’s for purchasing prescriptions, right? But unlike the two regular checkout registers that were open, there was no one there, and I knew this was my chance to get out of Walmart. Apparently, people don’t know about this trick when the rule is in effect, but it was there that I told the nice lady helping me about what happened. She laughed, and as I was waiting for my receipt I couldn’t help remarking that maybe this is why they give us three extra pounds. She laughed again—I love when people get my jokes—and I happily left to go back home where all went well with the litter.
There is a moral to this story by the way. Don’t cry over spilled cat litter. Instead, laugh about it and be happy about the little things in life, like good deals and people who laugh at your jokes.