There once was a day, not very long ago, when I achieved something so improbable, I sometimes wonder if it really happened or if it was only a dream: I successfully procured a week’s worth of groceries while somehow adhering to the mission’s seemingly impossible time and budgetary constraints of 45 minutes and $100.
I recall with wonder how I deftly maneuvered past the many stalled carts that littered my path. How I maintained mental focus in the dizzying fog of mesmerizing displays, despite guerillas popping out of nowhere bearing free samples, remaining fiercely determined to stay on-list.
I was somehow able to dig deep and find an uncharacteristic reserve of decisiveness in the face of a potentially paralyzing array of dishwasher detergent options.
I was not fooled by the benign looking carton that harbored a cracked egg within, nor by the milk gallon only two days from expiration. I crept from Aisle 1 to Aisle 20, never backtracking, yet capturing every target on my battle plan.
There are some who may not believe such a feat is even possible, and it is certainly not one that I have managed to achieve since. Let my accomplishment on that storied day serve as a reminder and as an inspiration to you, as it does to me, of the truly incredible feats of which the human body and spirit are capable.
Maria Linn 