Judge much?

So, I had an interesting experience at the grocery store the other day. I really don't like going to the store and I try not to go on the weekend when I do go because it is always too busy and too crowded and too noisy and just...too everything I guess. Trent and I had stopped by a roadside produce stand on Saturday and bought some wonderful strawberries. Well, of course, strawberries are not any good without Cool Whip and little angel food cakes. So, we got home and Trent decided to mow the lawn while I quickly went to the store. Of course, the quickly part was all a pipe dream!

So, I get there, get the things a need and a few extras (sour gummy worms, yummmmmm)and then make my way to the express lane which has about 45 people in it. Okay, maybe not 45, but there was a lot of people. The other lanes, however, also had a lot of people in them with full carts, so I proceeded to the express lane. A few moments later, a women with a cart comes up behind me with her children. She had 3, maybe 4, children with her, one of whom was in the cart. After I quickly counted every ones items in front of me to make sure there were no rule breakers (oh c'mon now, you all do it too!!), I looked behind me to count hers. Just because, well frankly, there was little else to do. At this point (man, my little story is turning into a novel...I will hurry), she takes a big bottle of wine (maybe it was just regular size, I don't know, I don't buy wine, but the bottle looked rather big to me) and hands it to one of the older kids outside of the cart and says, "I don't need this sh*t, take it back." The child does as she is told. We advance one space up, then another, then another when I overhear the lady ask the child to please go back and get the wine, she has changed her mind. Finally, I get to the check out place where I can place my items from my arms onto the belt, I so very graciously, put up one of those separator bars after my stuff so the lady behind me can start putting her stuff on the belt. We advance forward and it is finally my turn (in my head I am doing a jig!), I pay for my stuff and move forward to bag the few items I got. In the meantime, the lady behind me has checked out all of her stuff and lo and behold, does not have enough cash, she forgot to grab the $20 on the table. So, she tells the checker to please take the 3-pack of Capri Suns off, her kids don't need those anyway, but keeps the wine.

This story is why I find it hard not to judge people. I am the first to admit that I am very judgmental. Lately, however, I have tried not to be as much and have tried to look at things at a different aspect. But, this lady had said once that she did not need the wine and then changed her mind (just aside note here, I think standing in long grocery lines have nearly brought me to the bottle as well!). When it comes down to it, she chooses her needs, wants, addictions, whatever, to her childrens needs. Okay, Capri Suns may not be a total need, it could have been a treat for her kids, but nonetheless, it is juice and it will probably count as one fruit serving! This reminded me of a story when I lived in New Mexico - bear with me, this one is short. I was behind a lady at a grocery store and she had a lot of groceries and was paying with food stamps. At the end, the checker tells her that the dog food she has purchased is not covered under the food stamp thing, so the lady says - and I quote - "Okay, put the dog food back and give me a family pack of hamburger instead." Now, whether or not the lady planned to feed the dog the hamburger or not, I don't know, I just found it a rather curious trade. As I found the juice/wine trade also curious.

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye met, it shall be measured to you again." Okay, with that, I will try not to judge again. But sometimes people just make it too darn easy!