I just went to the supermarket for the first time since August 2011 (not counting one time in Australia at Christmas). At first it was novel and funny and I checked in on Facebook. It soon turned a bit scary and then right at the end very grounding. This is the second grounding experience this week – the first one was on monday night when I did my own laundry at the Laundromat!

I went past on my bike on the long leisurely way home from gym and almost went in but decided I go home first because the people hanging outside looked dodgey and I worried for my bike. When I was younger I thought I would have just taken the risk. Too old and sensible for that now. Took it home and then I strolled back down wondering where I’ll take my self for the long weekend – a three day bike ride, or a plane ride to Tulum, Whistler or whatever. Anyway I’m in there strolling around in wonder and a daze thinking hard about healthy breakfast choices. I’ve been meaning to come in and get breakfast stuff for months now and never got round to it, it just sat on my things list. I’d usually grab a Lox bagel and a latte from Café Sophie on the way to the Facebook shuttle bus, but I’m sick of that and its a waste of money and not very healthy (I’m on a health kick with the help of my personal trainer).

There were some yummy looking things but I resisted as I only strictly needed breakfast items and often I thought (like trail mix and then Gatorade and later pop chips etc – which were $10 for 10!?) ‘oh I can get that free at work’. I noticed the variety of people in there. All sorts but because I wasn’t used to this I felt like I was surrounded by struggling people!? It’s TIME CONSUMING and WORK to shop for things, and then you have to take it home, pack it away, then later prepare it and then eat it! And then take out the trash, do the dishes… it goes on and on.

But really they were just normal people shopping like I was. So I find with delight the thing I came for: Fage the healthy thick Greek yoghurt which I had recommended to me as a delicious high protein food.

At checkout I’ve forgotten my club card so I just resign myself to paying two dollars extra per item. I buy expensive fresh cherries from Chile and fresh and some frozen berries to mix into my Fage, fresh milk and Safeway’s best take on artisan bread. Whatever it will go with my Vegemite and cheese.

I take a picture with my iPhone of my goods because it’s such a novel experience and send it on Facebook to a friend. Anyway the sketchy looking guy next in line compliments me kindly on my nice sweater and I say thank you and notice that all he is buying is a six pack of instant noodles. He says to the clerk that he’s bummed that they don’t have the shrimp flavor left! Anyway it turns out you can put your phone number in the computer in leu of a card and get the significant discount but mine doesn’t work as I signed up before I started work at Facebook and didn’t have my all expenses paid iPhone yet. So the guy behind me offers to use his and he keys it in and I get $10 off my bill making it $32 or something which I swipe on my debit card and then choose the highest cash back option of $60. It made me a bit uncomfortable afterwards thinking that these guys working there probably don’t make much and then there’s the sketchy but nice guy behind me forking out for instant noodles.

My lifestyle and the circles I’m in can make me forget my considerable privilege. It’s also the suddenness it’s been handed to me which makes it all the more stark, leaving me self aware. I went from rags to riches in 2011 literally overnight…

I’m still learning to live in and accept my privilege and I’m glad I can still recognize and be very thankful for it. I am not cunty about it and am thankful to the workers packing my bag and to the fellow helping me out with the club discount and then the greeter wishing me a pleasant evening. Still, I wish I had paid the dollar for the guys noodles though for the gesture he was clearly struggling with life…