Day 3--A Walk to the Grocery Store

I have visited many large cities and find it fascinating to see how people walk so much and seem to always have a small bag in hand to pick up items they might need.  In Texas, we jump in the car to do  everything--and often the things we are going to do require that.  There's also the problem of fewer sidewalks in our area than you find in these metropolitan areas and so that's an issue as well.

Today on my way home from the office, I was thinking of picking up a few things from the grocery store--and also trying to think what to do for my new first of the day.  Then I had the idea that I would walk to the HEB down the way from us and take a small bag and pick up my items--that would definitely be a first!  So I got home, put on more comfortable clothing, grabbed a bag and took off to HEB which is just around the corner--or so it seems in a car!  Actually it is 12 long blocks from my house to HEB and the going was fine.  I picked up my items, thinking carefully about size and weight knowing I would have to trek it all home on foot and went away with my bag full.  I bought a quart of milk instead of a gallon, one potato for dinner, one cucumber for the salad, a dozen eggs, mushrooms, and 4 breakfast bars.  So off I went my 12 blocks home, weighed my bag of groceries (8.2 lbs.) when I got there, and felt very smug that I had walked to the grocery store, bought stuff and walked home.

I would be much healthier if I thought of doing this more often.  But since I hate going to the grocery store, I usually go as little as possible and buy a car full of stuff, much of which I don't really need.  It made me realize that shopping small, shopping on foot makes one put some thought into what is going into the bag and what is necessary and what is not really needed at all.  Maybe this will be my first of many trips to stores on foot in this corner of Belton where I live--and I will thoughtfully buy only what is necessary instead of so many impulse buys!