Member-only story
May All Grocery Store Workers Be Happy, Healthy, and Complete
Envisioning an ideal work life for myself and other grocery people
I love working a job that I can care about, without caring about it too much. For me right now, that place is a grocery store.
In 2022, a mystery illness kept me debilitated for months. I don’t know how I would have survived without a grocery delivery app. Realizing how lucky I was for the amazing workers, I dreamed of regaining the strength in my arms, legs, and voice to be able to work at a grocery someday.
I’d give back. I’d experience being on the other side of things. Now, here I am, a random worker at your neighborhood grocery store, among some 2.7 million in the U.S. (2019).
On top of the chronic illness, I had to bounce back from is being let go from a dream job this year. In my new, humbler position at a grocery store, it’s easy to find purpose in helping humans—and some dogs and cats—survive and hopefully thrive through getting things they need. At the same time, the job is so common and replaceable, I can feel useful and fulfilled with less pressure than before.
Stocking shelves and rejoicing with random shoppers is good for me right now. It contrasts well with the solitary, sedentary creativity that I spend most of my…
