Trials
      &
      Tribulations
      of
      a
     
     
      twentysomething
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      S.
      Livingstone
     
     
      _
      Was
      left
      home
      alone
      by
      my
      family
      last
     
     
      I
      week
      to
      house
      sit
      while
      they
      went
      off
      on
     
     
      an
      unnecessary
      getaway.
      I
      was
      well
     
     
      prepared
      to
      enjoy
      my
      sudden
      independence
      and
     
     
      freedom
      or
      at
      least
      I
      thought
      I
      was.
      I
      decided
     
     
      that
      I
      would
      take
      this
      newly
      discovered
      sover-
     
     
      cignty
      to
      the
      limits
      and
      pretend
      as
      though
      I
      had
     
     
      the
      responsibility
      of
      someone
      older
      thantwenty.
     
     
      The
      first
      thing
      I
      felt
      T
      should
      do
      was
      20
      grocery
     
     
      shopping,
      not
      that
      the
      cupboards
      were
      not
      well
     
     
      stocked
      before
      my
      family’s
      departure
      (they
     
     
      lack
      faith
      in
      my
      survival
      skills),
      but
      I
      felt
      that
     
     
      grocery
      shopping
      is
      something
      that
      adults
      do
     
    

    
     
      and
      so
      must
      I.
     
    

    
     
      I
      must
      confess
      that
      I
      have
      never
      actually
     
     
      gone
      on
      a
      grocery
      shopping
      expedition
      on
      my
     
     
      own,
      unless
      getting
      milk
      at
      a
      corner
      store
      counts
     
     
      4s
      experience.
      The
      first
      thing
      I
      had
      to
      do
      was
      to
     
     
      decide
      which
      supermarket
      I
      should
      give
      my
     
     
      business
      to.
      For
      a
      small
      city
      there
      are
      an
     
     
      overwhelming
      number
      of
      supermarkets
      to
      the
     
     
      Unseasoned
      consumer.
      After
      a
      great
      deal
      of
     
     
      thought
      I
      settled
      on
      that
      convenient
      24
      hour
     
     
      ¢stablishment
      very
      near
      our
      campus.
      I
      chose
     
     
      this
      one
      because
      of
      its
      popularity
      among
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      of
      this
      university.
      I
      am
      making
      this
     
     
      ‘sumption
      purely
      on
      the
      speculation
      that
      all
     
     
      ‘hose
      derelict
      carts
      near
      Blanchard
      Hall
      were
     
     
      nce
      transportation
      for
      travelling
      groceries
      from
     
     
      his
      store,
     
    

    
     
      I
      did
      not
      bother
      with
      a
      grocery
      list.
      I
      just
     
     
      ade
      a
      mental
      list
      of
      the
      things
      I
      needed
      and
     
     
      Toceeded
      on
      my
      trek
      to
      obtain
      groceries.
      When
     
     
      arrived
      at
      the
      supermarket
      I
      hastily
      decided
     
     
      hat
      I
      did
      not
      require
      a
      shopping
      cart
      as
      I
      was
     
     
      nly
      there
      to
      purchase
      fifteen
      items
      or
      less.
      As
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
          
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
          
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
          
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ugh
      as
      I
      began
      to
      question
      the
      necessity
      of
      a
     
     
      8°
      awkward
      cart
      for
      a
      few
      items
      that
      fit
     
     
      _
      “tely
      into
      a
      basket
      or
      an
      eco-friendly
      shop-
     
     
      "e
      bag,
      and
      as
      I
      walked
      around
      searching
      for
     
     
      *
      items
      on
      my
      list
      I
      noticed
      other
      men
      awe
     
     
      ck
      by
      the
      variety
      of
      goods
      the
      store
      had
      to
     
     
      “t
      and
      they
      too
      were
      cartless.
      I
      discussed
      this
     
     
      "e
      with
      one
      of
      my
      female
      friends
      and
      she
     
     
      "ns
      she
      gets
      a
      cart
      for
      the
      smallest
      amounts
     
     
      *roceries
      and
      she
      too
      sees
      men
      struggling
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hold
      onto
      nine
      or
      ten
      items.
      Maybe
      its
      a
      gender
     
     
      thing.
     
    

    
     
      When
      I
      could
      hold
      no
      more
      in
      my
      arms
     
     
      without
      catastrophe
      making
      an
      unwanted
      ap-
     
     
      pearance
      I
      made
      an
      attempt
      to
      make
      my
      way
      to
     
     
      the
      checkouts.
      This
      journey
      became
      the
      most
     
     
      challenging
      component
      in
      my
      entire
      visit,
      and
     
     
      reaffirmed
      my
      belief
      that
      carts
      are
      nothing
      more
     
     
      than
      hindering
      obstacles
      with
      broken
      wheels.
     
     
      At
      certain
      times
      I
      was
      trapped
      between
      four
      or
     
     
      five
      carts
      in
      what
      seemed
      to
      be
      gridlock
      but
     
     
      upon
      more
      careful
      observation
      was
      simply
      a
     
     
      senior
      shoppers’
      forum
      on
      sale
      items.
      Luckily
     
     
      I
      had
      brought
      along
      some
      coupons
      with
      which
     
     
      I
      bargained
      my
      way
      out
      of
      this
      cart
      corral.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      cashier,
      I
      believe
      her
      name
      was
      Penny,
     
     
      was
      very
      friendly
      and
      seemingly
      understanding
     
     
      of
      my
      post
      shopping
      anxiety.
      She
      quickly
     
     
      moved
      all
      my
      purchases
      through
      the
      scanner
     
     
      and
      I
      was
      offand
      running,
      abetter
      person
      formy
     
     
      experience.
      Upon
      reaching
      the
      car
      though,
      I
     
     
      realized
      I
      had
      forgotten
      two
      essential
      items.
     
     
      Fearing
      my
      demise
      if
      I
      was
      to
      enter
      that
      super-
     
     
      market
      again
      I
      moved
      on
      to
      another
      store
      to
     
     
      makemy
      remaining
      purchases.
      This
      time
      proved
     
     
      much
      more
      successful
      however
      as
      I
      was
      now
      a
     
     
      veteran
      of
      the
      grocery
      shopping
      war
      and
      I
      felt
     
     
      ready
      to
      tackle
      any
      situation
      a
      supermarket
     
     
      might
      bring.
      I
      may
      even
      use
      a
      cart
      the
      next
      time.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Campus
      Comment
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      What
      do
      you
      predict
      for
      the
      New
      Year?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Tam
      not
      very
      good
      at
      predicting
      things.
      I
      hope
     
    

    
     
      1993
      will
      be
      a
      great
      year
      for
      the
      students
      at
     
     
      UPEI.”’
     
    

    
     
      Satadal
      Dasgupta
     
    

    
     
      Soc/Anth
      Dept.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “*More
      people
      are
      going
      to
      stop
      communicating
     
     
      and
      the
      spin
      off
      is
      less
      understanding.’”
     
    

    
     
      Deanna
      Keen
     
    

    
     
      4th
      year
      Sociology
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Satadal
      Dasgupta