Something out of the ordinary happened to me the other day.  My reaction in     contrast with the reactions of those around me was surprising.  How I processed it was interesting.

I was at a Super Walmart in Grand Blanc a couple of Sundays ago.  I don’t ordinarily shop at Walmart.  I love Kroger because Mama Mar runs the best store in Michigan.   Plus I am uncomfortable with the politics and controversy surrounding Walmart.  This day, however, I was on that side of town, we were out of EVERYTHING and for the sake of convenience I decided to shop there.

After spending an hour and a half stuffing my cart (I told you we were out of everything!) I was just browsing the deli area when the announcement was made, “Attention Walmart Shoppers.  Due to circumstances beyond our control we must ask you to leave your unpurchased items and exit the store in a calm and orderly fashion.”

Then, as if knowing we would all be wondering if we heard correctly, the message was repeated.

What would you do at this point?

I am sure my head tilted as I considered what I had just heard.  Then I glanced up at the exit signs and assessed if the closest doors to me were getting crowded yet.  The exits were clear.  I located my keys, picked up my purse and calmly and briskly walked out.  I heard a deli boy apologizing behind me for my inconvenience.  I was sure that getting caught up in whatever was going on would have been much more of an inconvenience than two hours of wasted shopping time.

On my way out I heard grumbling so I looked around.  People were complaining.  They were picking little fights and pitching little tantrums.  Someone wanted a gift card for her trouble.  I shook my inner head and forged forward.  In no way could I have been described as anything but casually walking out the door, yet I was what seemed like a mile ahead of everyone else.

As I backed out of my parking spot I looked in my rear view mirror to see all the doors bust open and a mob of people pouring out.  What in the world took them so long?  I can only guess they continued to grumble for a few minutes. As for me, I drove through the closest restaurant, KFC, and scurried home to hug my kids.

My first thought was that there had been a bomb threat and it turns out I was right.  I didn’t find out until a couple of days later and my mind went crazy with “what if”s.  On one hand I think I am being dramatic by letting it get to me.  Surely it was a prank.  But then again, these things do happen.  How do you distinguish what deserves to be treated seriously until it’s too late?

The thing that leaves me most puzzled is the people who stuck around long enough to complain.  We didn’t know it was a bomb threat at the time, but you have to consider that Walmart would not send away a store filled with people and their money on a busy Sunday afternoon without something serious going on.  I never for a moment felt upset over the time I spent shopping and having to leave my cart behind.  The only thing on my mind was that my kids were home alone and I needed to get back to them.

Have you ever experienced such an adventure?  How did you feel afterward?