Here are a few things I am pondering. Perhaps you can relate.
Caffeine is something most of us crave, but minus the stress that goes with placing your overpriced, high-octane order. So many decisions before 8 a.m. Vente, grande, oat milk, almond milk, to drizzle or not. One shot or two pumps or live dangerously and go for four? Don't even get me started on the new tipping "etiquette." Pardon me, but requiring folks to tip before you have had the opportunity to "wow" them with your prowess as a barista is presumptuous and if I am paying $8 plus tip for a cup of coffee, smiles should be mandatory. I am not responsible for your bad day – yet.
Grocery shopping is no longer a simple task. In today’s world, you need mathematical aptitude that rivals Einsteins and patience. Apps are just the beginning. You must download digital coupons to take advantage of less-inflated prices and then attempt to decipher how many of each item you need to purchase to receive said discount. Then you must divide by three, multiply by two , have the appropriate shoppers card handy then run screaming from the store after the self checkout register fails to recognize your carefully "preserved" digital coupons.
Packaging is by far my biggest pet peeve. I often question whether eliminating those useless plastic grocery bags while simultaneously using enough packaging materials to eliminate multiple forests will help save the planet. Case in point, I recently ordered a small item that was flung onto my porch. Hmm. What could this huge box be? Funny, I don't remember ordering a washing machine. I was unaware that pet food warranted such extreme packaging measures. It's not nuclear waste.
Age is another problematic issue. Unlike other forms of discrimination, age discrimination seems to provoke the least outrage. Ask anyone over the age of 60 what kind of reception they receive when they apply for any job other than Supreme Court Justice or President of the United States and you will undoubtedly hear some horror stories. Yes, you can have your hand on the nuclear codes and your foot on a banana peel and your age is of no concern.
And finally, a little something from Scottsdale. It puzzles me that housing for vulnerable populations provokes such ire while uber-expensive $6.2 million dollar dog parks in North Scottsdale merits not one growl. And as long as we are dropping a mere $6.2 million, why are we discriminating against cats? Don't they deserve a place to socialize with their fellow felines? A cat house, perhaps, in the bar district? Purrr.
Oh, who am I kidding. This is Scottsdale, where excess reigns supreme and common sense takes a back seat on a slow moving road. As we usher in a new year, let's hope common sense prevails. For once.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
