On Visiting Trader Joe’s
A reader of my previous essay, “On My Walk,” liked that peek into my “strange mind.” So, here’s what went through my head as I visited Trader Joe’s today.
As I approached the store, I felt something I rarely feel: gratitude. Not just that TJ’s has good products at fair prices, not just that the clerks are nice, but that they’re flexible with the no-dogs rule. Not only do the managers look the other way when I come in with my sweet (and yes, hypoallergenic) Hachi, they turn the other way when clerks take a “Hachi break” — to talk baby-talk to and play with The Hach as he nuzzles against them and/or rolls over on his back. I ended up getting Hachi a Trader Joe’s red oval employee badge that reads “Hachi OK.” Everyone laughs. Well, I don’t know about the managers. They are looking the other way.
First product I notice is TJ’s unicorn baby’s breath: pink, blue, and white flowers. Yeah, it’s dyed but that’s no matter. True, most of us appreciate authentic, but what price authenticity if the altered is more pleasing?
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Next of note, the dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes — so much more flavorful than others. And I’m tickled that while the label says 16 ounces, when I weigh it at home, it’s always like 24. In this era where most products are measured to the 1/100th of a pound, it’s nice to get a lagniappe, a free bonus. It reminds me of when my mother went to the appetizer counter for a half pound of, say, shrimp salad, and ask, “Throw a little bit more on?” and the clerk would. Back then, there were no automatic labeling scales, priced to the aforementioned 1/100th of a pound.
Then a clerk who will remain nameless lest s/he get in trouble, stopped me for a Hachi break. The clerk said that another clerk had passed by my house and saw me playing the piano. This clerk asked if s/he could assemble a group of TJ employees to hear a little concert. I was delighted! My thought later: Trader Joe’s really does know how to hire. I like automated checkout. At Safeway, I don’t care to interact with the clerks, but at TJ’s...
Then I had a macro thought. All those yummy products — from Unexpected Cheddar ($3.99 for 7 ounces) plus a little extra for free, to healthy peanut butter ($2.49), to roasted red peppers ($3.29), to boneless chicken breasts ($3.49 a pound.) They’re affordable to most and require no more effort than to drop them into the basket — while holding Hachi’s leash. I am again grateful, this time to everyone in the supply chain from farmer to trucker to stocker to the TJ owners who must curate zillions of products and then go through so much to get all the selected ones on the shelves fresh every day. Wow.
Now, it was time to pick a checkout line. I know most of the checkers and, as I said, I’d rather interact with most of them than do self-checkout. I wish I could list my favorite clerks but as I said, I sure don’t want to get them in trouble for taking a Hachi break. But suffice to say, I leave TJ’s, without fail, feeling happier than this generally sad worrywart usually is.
I read this aloud on YouTube.
Marty Nemko is a career and personal coach, and author of 36 books including Light: short-short stories on life’s brighter side. You can reach him at mnemko@gmail.com
