One of my pastors made a comment during his sermon this morning about how the contents of one's shopping cart tell so much about a person. Well, that is very true. When I am grocery shopping, I actually do study other people's shopping-cart contents because it is a good way to entertain myself when I'm shopping. I agree with my pastor that the contents do reveal something about someone - either the person pushing the cart or the person being shopped for. If someone else was studying what I put into my cart they would find lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, no bread, little - if any - dairy, seafood, the occasional chicken, lots of beans and rice, frequent cans of chicken broth with which to make homemade soups, eggs, not much candy, and snack foods limited to pretzels and corn tostada chips. Not a very exciting list of contents.
But is there not another way to think of shopping-cart contents?
What would others discover in my life shopping cart? What would my life shopping-cart's contents tell others about me, what I did, what I stood for, what I accomplished, what I enjoyed, what I valued, who I loved and cherished? Just what message would my symbolic shopping cart carry to those who did not know me?
This has given me great pause for thought.
My cart would tell others that I was a life-long educator - educating adults as the women's fitness director at the YWCA, educating young people either in the classroom or at summer music camps at a Wisconsin state university, or educating adults in multiple church choirs. Evidence of music would be in every nook and cranny of the cart - beginning with student directing responsibilities in junior and senior high school, majoring in music at the university level, teaching music, playing as a member of a regional symphony, working as the personnel director and youth director of the same symphony, doing the announcing for the same symphony's outdoor summer concert series, and playing as a member of a classical trio. Volunteering would be evident, beginning with a three-year stint as the secretary for a public-television friends group and would also involve church activities. Voyeurs would see my two greatest accomplishments - my children; my great loves of Capt. SO, The Three Musketeers, Max and some very good friends. My love and respect for animals would be present, as would my support of public broadcasting. Hopefully someone would find my sense of humor and my wild and crazy side - known mostly only to my family. There would be a significant amount of space devoted to water and boats and this, my outlet of writing. Someone would undoubtedly uncover a propensity to lead and organize people....perhaps to a slightly obsessive level I admit, plus a love of God would be present.
That would be me, currently, in a nutshell. I will spend some time reflecting about whether I should change, modify or adjust the contents of my life shopping cart. I guess this is what would be called a legacy. I'd better get crackin' on this. You just never know what hand tomorrow will deal you.
Ancora imparo
