Perhaps this is a bit of an odd or even poor title because the delight I’m thinking about today might be better titled as “The Joy of the Mundane,” and what more mundane thing is there than going to Walmart to pick up a few things?
I’m not sure what this thought occurs to me nearly every time I pull into the Walmart parking lot, but I’m grateful for the reminder. Driving my car, finding a parking spot and walking into the store is potentially about as rote an experience as one could have. Still, for some reason, I’ve associated this activity with joy and delight. The ability to walk, to buy food, to drive a car, to make a series of minor decisions all point to a greater gift and privilege. Sometimes it’s juxtaposed to the knowledge that not everyone can do this. Some of my friends and colleagues are dealing with pretty serious issues in life right now. Obviously, billions of others can’t experience life like this, and I don’t know how long I will get to experience this but for now, I take great delight in filling my recyclable bag with a bunch of bananas, a tube of toothpaste and a case of Diet Dr. Pepper (for my wife) going through the self checkout and heading back to my car to drive home. During my 7-minute drive home, I often take that moment to reflect on those simple things. I’ve come to appreciate that life is mostly made up of mundane activities and tasks.
For a long time, I’ve pushed back against the culture of achievement and my thoughts on SMART goals. I’ve also thought and written about the idea of contentment. Those perspectives are very often the antithesis of Western culture and even K12 culture. Achievement, success, winning- these are the foundational concepts of what would be deemed a life worth living. Obviously, I don’t entirely disagree and have lived much of my life in alignment. Maybe my ability to find delight in shopping at Walmart is the result of my success. It sure doesn’t seem like much of anything, and I’m also sure some people reading this see this as dumb.
I remember Warren Buffett one time being interviewed, and he talked about the fact that although he is one of the wealthiest men on earth, his days aren’t much different than the average American. He sleeps 8 hours a day, maybe on a slightly nicer mattress than most, but really not much different. He works 8 hours a day, very much like many average people. The other 8 hours on most days look the same as most people.
I like this sentiment that I’ve heard shared in similar ways before, but one that perhaps best sums up this post.
What do you think? Add a comment below or start a conversation.