Cooking up some common sense - do you take for granted most people have it?

After work I stopped at a big box store to pick up a few needed things.

Controversial as the big boxes are, sometimes I still shop at them since the prices make the torture worth it. Plus, although big boxes are not generally locally owned, they do employ local people.

The cashier, perhaps not a Rhodes scholar, but doing her best, began telling me that she had made shepherd's pie today, with sweet potatoes instead of regular white potatoes.

 
She informed me that sweet potatoes were better than white potatoes for you. I agreed and told her that I love sweet potatoes, too, since they are always listed as one of the top power foods on any list you see. Her jaw dropped and she said she was now really glad she had used sweet potatoes.

She proceeded to tell me that she had been living on her own since she was 16 years old and had always had a problem cooking for herself. Her friend was now helping her learn to cook better and more healthy.

Wow. I walked away with a crazy mix of emotions!

I felt so sad for this youngish gal, who obviously didn't grow up with anyone to teach her basic nutrition facts - or where to find them on her own.

I felt sad that she didn't have the tools on her own to figure such things out, which seems like common sense to me.

I felt so happy for her that she was clearly proud of not only learning to cook for herself in a more healthy fashion, but that she also had a friend helping her along this path.

I felt glad that she was working! And she was doing a great job.

Now that I am home, I wish that I hadn't been in such a big, selfish hurry to get home, and found a manager and told them that this employee was a keeper.

Next time I will take the time for someone else besides myself.

 
I am a Putnamaniac that is so glad I had a mother that taught me many things, and mostly to use a little common sense, since I am lucky enough to have a small amount of it!