My Small Town Activist Experience

Let's say you read the "Enough Dinking Around with My Food" post, and then copied the letter and hand-delivered it to your grocery store manager. How'd that work for you?

Here's how it worked for me:

• The Food Lion grocery store manager was daunted by my request. Although he took the letter, he seemed beaten down by personal issues, like sadness and heartbreak. I think he lives at home with his mother.
  

• The Ingles manager was rude and short; she had no time to read the letter and was not interested. I smiled, thanked her and left. Her store feels depressed and falsely presented.
  

• The Harris Teeter manager was polite and attentive; he read the letter, and said he'd pass it on to headquarters. His store is filled with happy check-out women who share a good crazy tribal beat.
  

But I didn't stop with the grocery stores. I visited my small town's three "health food stores" and asked the owners to help, too. Simple request: read the letter, sign, place the letter in the attached envelop, and deliver it to the grocery store manager next time they shop. I also provided a few extra letters so their favorite customers could participate as well, if they, the store owner, would be so kind to ask.













Here's what happened:

• The first health store owner was coolly polite, and placed the letters on her check-out counter under some vendor brochures. She did not indicate if she would sign and deliver a letter. I have hopes. Her store is tall, deep and narrow.
  

• The second owner glared at me, huffed and said, "This is too much work. But, leave them, I'll see what I can do." She wants me to consider opening an office beside her store, but I would be too much work for her. Her store is dark, deep and wide.
  

• The third owner smiled, took the letters, and said, "Sure, I'll help. My customers will be interested in this." Her store is comfortable, and slightly-off kilter like an old rocking chair.
  

Well, guess what? Two negatives and one positive always create a positive charge! Do the math, you'll see. One out of three is good! That's a thirty-three percent success rate overall. One third creates a big shift!

But, here's my question: would things have worked out differently if another positive-thinking / feeling / acting person had gone into the stores with me? Could two people carrying a positive charge shift the negative charge of the store managers / owners? Maybe...yes?

At the very least, I would have left those stores in good company.

My activist friends, keep your chins up. Do your best. Be polite. Throw your hearts out there, and know the Universe has your backs, fronts, and your ups and downs.

Two negatives are positive...negative and positive are negative...positive plus negative plus negative, wow...see? All is right with the world.