I hadn't been back to the USA for four years and what a lot of changes. One big surprise was that people rarely use money anymore. I went to the grocery store with my cousin and said I would buy the groceries. At the check out stand I handed him a twenty dollar bill. There were just two small plastic bags, hardly anything at all. And the woman said it was 62.50. I was shocked. So as I was digging through my purse trying to come up with the extra money in twenty dollar bills the man waiting behind me said very loudly as he looked at me, "Looks like I got into the wrong line."
I was so mad and embarrassed. And surprised at how expensive groceries are up there. Everything is expensive. My money was flowing out of my purse like water. My son in Kansas thought a lunch for the two of us costing 35 dollars was a good deal!
I never saw anyone using money. All credit cards. Even McDonald's has an electronic sign where you push on the photo of what you want and then pay by credit card. And the next surprise is how fast people did things. Perfect example was the man who bitched about having to wait for me to get my money out. It must not have taken me even one minute but that was a minute too long out of his life to wait for me. I wonder where he was going that was so important as to insult me while I was frantically getting out my money.
But I loved seeing the Amish. I respect their life style more than ours at the moment. I never saw them in a hurry. I loved seeing them riding the horses and buggies. They were always friendly. And no cell phones. I think everyone else in the world has a cell phone that they are on all the time. But I don't have one. When I was waiting in the airport and looked around, everyone was on a cell phone. I was the only person looking around.
Another thing that I noticed was what was on television. I don't own one so I don't see all the advertisements and stupid sit coms with canned laughter. But it was all the commercials for medications for various health problems that shocked me the most. Diseases that they seem to have made up. Just common problems that as humans we have from time to time. But then the side affects of their medications took more time than trying to convince us that we had that particular problem. Side affects for some common rash might even include death. And side affects of an antidepressant might include depression and suicide. It was insane. After awhile I couldn't watch television anymore. I was beginning to think I needed various medications they were advertising, even risking death to use them.
I had the best flight back and the worst flight back. The first flight there wasn't enough time for me to get out of the back of the airplane to catch the next plane so they put me in the first seat. I didn't realize it was first class. As soon as I sat down I was asked if I wanted something to drink. Then I was asked what I wanted to eat. There were only two seats in the row so I had a lot of room. I finally asked the woman sitting next to me what was going on and she said we were in First Class. First Class is just how I remembered all airplane trips being when I was twenty years younger.
On the next flight we had to sit for an hour waiting for them to clean the bathroom. Three seats to a row and I was squished up against the window. My elbow still hurts from that flight. So the best and the worst flights, all on the same trip.
But even though I have a sore elbow, bad ears, and can't breathe, I am glad to be home again. My animals are sticking close to me. That trip was too far and too many days. Next time my relatives have to come here if they want to see me. I am too old for that kind of travel now.
P.S. I couldn't get anyone to fix the comments on the post so you will have to send me an e mail instead. Petwalker40@yahoo.com
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