July, 2019
Ranting against the rise of the "big box" stores seems to be a cause-du-jour. People do it all the time and on all forms of media in a seeming attempt to link their level of disgust to their level of patriotism. Not me. I love the big boxes. 
I love them because homes — even those on wheels — always have something in need of repair or upgrade. And whenever and whatever my home needs, a big box store has it.
Yeah, I know the dark side too: they're ugly, they add to traffic, they stifle competition and put mom and pop places out of business. Yada yada. Some folks just don't understand change (and they obviously haven't read our Welcome page). Wal-Mart, the biggest box of all, knows that despite every argument against them, when they open the doors of a new store, customers are going to walk through them, and bring their money with them. So until someone comes up with a way to out-sell them, they're going to keep building superstores without a care in the world. Once again, that's the nature of change which, like Wal-Mart, has its own agenda. And, as previously stated, I think that's OK.
Aside from being suppliers of, well, almost everything, here's another reason they're likeable.
If you've read this far into my website, you won't be surprised by the fact that I travel full time. I stay in one place for a couple of days to a couple of weeks and then I'm on the road again. In the time that's been true, I have never for a moment felt even a twinge of home-sickness. There are a number of reasons for that, but the simplest is that my roots have always been shallow and I feel every bit as at home in my RV as I have in any house or apartment in which I've ever lived. But I've met more than a few folks who love and miss their homes when they're away. So here's my advice to anyone who finds themselves in that situation.
If ever you're a long way from home and feeling blue because of it, head for the closest Target, Kohl's, Lowe's/Home Depot - which is actually same store, just different colors - (the dreaded) Wal-Mart, or even your favorite grocery store. Because no matter where you are, those places are the same — exactly the same — as the ones you left behind. As a result, they're familiar and as comfortable as an old pair of jeans. Walk through the door and within a minute or two you'll be feeling warm, fuzzy and right at... home.
And by the way, I don't mean to beat up on Wal-Mart because they can be a road warrior's best friend. You might not know this because they don't advertise it, but most of their stores will allow RVers to stay in their parking lots overnight. Yeah, that's why you so often see RVs there. There are some unspoken protocols to follow, but there's no charge for the space. If you're traveling between stops and you need a few hours of shut-eye in order to keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down, that big well-lit parking lot can look pretty good. Bernadette and I spent the night in a Wal-Mart parking lot once. Interesting experience.
Remind me sometime and I'll tell you about it. 🙂
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