A Walk in the Park | An amazing adventure, and it only cost 25 cents

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

What can you get for 25 cents these days?

Until last week, I wouldn’t have been able to think of much of an answer for that question. But now, after paying a visit to one of those grocery stores that requires a quarter deposit before getting a shopping cart, I have a little better idea. On that day, a mere 25 cents generated smiles of gratitude and at least five friendly exchanges among strangers.

In case you haven’t had the experience; this is how the quarter-for-a-cart system works. Each shopping cart is attached with a short chain to the next one at the entrance of the store. Each cart is equipped with a slot where shoppers must insert a quarter, which then causes the latch to pop open and disconnects that cart from the one next to it. When the cart is no longer needed it is simply returned and plugged back into the others. This procedure exposes the quarter so the shopper gets it back.

This clever system ensures that all carts are returned to the store entrance and the business does not have to pay someone to collect them from the parking area. Not only does this method accomplish the store’s goal, but I found it also provides opportunities for a few simply enjoyable moments.

As I walked from my parking space toward the store on the day of my visit, I was met by a woman who was leaving. She held out a quarter and offered a brief explanation that someone had given her a quarter and she wanted to pass it on. I thanked her and smiled at the pleasant surprise. Moments later as I nearly reached the store’s entrance, a gentleman who was leaving offered his shopping cart to me. I thanked him and held out the quarter that I had just received from the other shopper. Turning around, he waved off my gesture and told me just to keep it. Entering the store, I was now essentially fifty cents richer and feeling good about how nice people can be to each other.

After finishing my shopping, I rolled my cart with my purchases to the parking lot determined to pass along the same kind gestures extended to me a short time earlier. With my two free quarters in hand, I quickly found arriving shoppers and handed off the tokens with a brief explanation. Both reacted with expected smiles and words of gratitude just as I had done earlier.

After loading my groceries into my car, I pushed my shopping cart to the proper place beside the door. There I noticed a woman with a small child digging in her purse apparently having trouble locating a quarter for the cart deposit. “Here, just take this one.” I said to her and turned to walk away.

With apparent genuine gratefulness, the woman thanked me and continued to search in her large handbag. She told me if I would wait a second she would find a quarter for me “in here some where.”

Mirroring the actions of the kind gentleman I had encountered upon my arrival, I waved off her offer and headed back to my vehicle.

As I drove out of the parking lot, I reflected on what had just happened. In a busy world where we often don’t take the time to speak to others, several neat moments had just occurred between perfect strangers. These brief encounters had shed a whole different light on an otherwise mundane trip to the grocery store. I had been on the giving and receiving end of these exchanges and both felt really good.

And, it only cost a quarter! Definitely the best bargain of the day!

Annette Rowe is a freelance writer and a speechlanguage pathologist at Siloam Springs High School. She may be reached by e-mail at awalkinthepark50 @ yahoo.com.