So this weekend me and the missus ended up at Wal-Mart. We promised ourselves we'd only go in, look for the cleaning product that Target didn't carry, and get out before we got tainted by the skanky Wal-Mart vibe. But we failed miserably -- we left with a cart full of stuff, including a new table and lamp for the basement. We also will probably be returning for a crib and a TV in the near future.
This caused us no end of stress, because -- well, to be blunt, we feel like we're better than Wal-Mart. Which, disconcertingly, means we must think we're better than the people who *do* shop at Wal-Mart. We're too cool, too eco-conscious, too globally-minded to shop at such an evil corporation. If we buy a crib there, our fellow hipsters will surely judge us. Well, maybe the Prius will buy us some points.
Thing is, I don't really know any of these fellow hipsters who would judge us for buying a crib at Wal-Mart. Everyone I know thinks we're stupid for not shopping at Wal-Mart, because they have the lowest prices. And I've always judged them for that -- surely anyone who is well-informed about the world around them would gladly pay an extra hundred dollars here and there than go to Wal-Mart, right? Right. . .
I'm not saying Wal-Mart's going to be my first stop for goods and services or anything, just saying that as I get older, my smug superiority gland seems to be shrinking. Not even the Prius purchase can make it swell up again. Maybe that's a good thing.
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