Man, I feel so elderly... I'm encountering more and more adult situations. For instance, I went shopping today… not for clothes, but for groceries. First, I went to Pak n Sav. By far, it's the place with the better deals, and you can buy in bulk and use your Safeway Club card to pay even less. Next time I go, I'll be sure to make a list beforehand, as I found myself making circles around the store. I felt like a kid in a candy store, as I couldn't make up my mind as to what to get, and searching for the sweeter deal. I went around noon, and most of the customers at this time were of the older crowd, so I guess that pretty much sums up the age group I now belong too. It's funny how some stores carry particular products that the other stores don't. Like Safeway and Pak n Sav have the better deals and whatnot, but the options for healthier cuisines are not as great. For instance, there is one particular salad dressing that I like, but only Albertsons carries it. Neither Safeway nor Pak n Sav carry this healthy delicious treat... maybe it's the plan to keep the poor and frugal 'down and round.' Who knows, but it sucks to have to go to two different stores to complete your grocery shopping needs, let alone wasting gas in the process mind you.
Yet another sign of elderliness (is that a word?), I've become a fan of naps. I guess tons of sleep deprivation will do that to you over time, but they're such an energy booster.
I did some reflecting today too. It started last night as I was searching for some photos of my grandma and I. Today I came across some old school Oakland A's programs and reflected on how much of a mark I was for baseball (dude, I even knew the names of the umpires... uh, yeah... that's pretty far). I then ran across some high school autograph books and our wannabe yearbook (yeah, our broke ass school couldn't afford to put one together, so we had to settle for a color copied memory book... good times I tell you! Good times!). It's sad to say that I cannot put a face with the names of half the people that signed my book, nor make out what they were saying (whoa, and I thought my handwriting was bad... haha). As I was talking to Irene the other day, I started thinking about my friend Minh. He was such a cool person, and I wish that I could have gotten to know him better. We had a 12th grade English class together, and he sat in the same group as I. Talk about down to earth, and really cool guy. I remember how much he used to struggle to make sense of the homework we were assigned, let alone make his products resemble that of others, just to get a passing grade. I remember how he used to tell me how much he missed his mom, as she was still in Vietnam, and how he and his dad did not get along. Throughout the semester, I noticed changes in his behavior. He was still the same sweet guy, but in terms of his ambition, he began to flag. It was as if he didn't care anymore about finishing school. I remember him saying how he had to work to take care of himself, and going to school at the same time couldn't allow him to do that. As time went on, he had more and more absences, and when he did show, there was no backpack, nor any patch worked homework. I wish that our teacher could have paid more attention to a struggling kid and helped him out, instead of putting him on front street when he came without his work, or late to class. Man, how was I to know that his last stream of absences was the indicator of him dropping out? I would have gotten a phone number or offered to help him more, but then again, how was I to really know that he was gonna carry out the plan to dropout? I guess this is just one of those scenarios in which you can't help but kick yourself in the butt over and over again for. I wish there were some way to get in touch with him somehow. It would be nice to see how he is doing. I guess, as you get older, you begin to value people more and what they have to offer, as well as recognize when someone cries for help. I suppose if this is the result of growing older, then becoming elderly may not be so bad.