Monday, December 8, 2008
Abusive Relationship
I am newly married but I have been in an abusive relationship for a long, long time. To be clear my husband is not my abuser. He is fantastic. As a matter of fact he tries to help me recover after my brutal battles with my abuser.
My abuser is Wal-Mart. The nature of our relationship is that I give them money, they treat me like crap, I complain to the manager in the hopes that one day they might change, they never change, and I continue to go back for more.
Why do I do this? Am I a stubborn optimist that hopes this evil corporate giant might one day change there ways? Or is it the fact that I can buy a box of macaroni for .66 cents? Are their crazy low prices worth my self esteem and sanity?
The moment I drive into the parking lot a sense of impending dread washes over me but I shrug it off thinking "I only need one or two things it won't be THAT bad."
As I enter the store I always see the warning signs. Mother's trying to stuff pacifiers into the mouths of their screaming babies. The angry, befuddled faces of the other shoppers. I even ignore the fact that there is not one grocery cart that will drive straight in the entire cart area.
I am a battered consumer. My relationship with Wal-Mart exhibits all the classics signs of an abusive relationship.
I am going to try my hardest never to have to grace the doors of this brutal establishment again. However, on those occasions when it is unavoidable I am going to send my husband.
My abuser is Wal-Mart. The nature of our relationship is that I give them money, they treat me like crap, I complain to the manager in the hopes that one day they might change, they never change, and I continue to go back for more.
Why do I do this? Am I a stubborn optimist that hopes this evil corporate giant might one day change there ways? Or is it the fact that I can buy a box of macaroni for .66 cents? Are their crazy low prices worth my self esteem and sanity?
The moment I drive into the parking lot a sense of impending dread washes over me but I shrug it off thinking "I only need one or two things it won't be THAT bad."
As I enter the store I always see the warning signs. Mother's trying to stuff pacifiers into the mouths of their screaming babies. The angry, befuddled faces of the other shoppers. I even ignore the fact that there is not one grocery cart that will drive straight in the entire cart area.
I am a battered consumer. My relationship with Wal-Mart exhibits all the classics signs of an abusive relationship.
- One partner tries to control the other
- One partner acts jealous or possessive
- One partner destroys or threatens to destroy the other's belongings
- One partner speaks to the other in a way or ways that hurt or scare the other partner
- One partner blames the other one and other people for everything
- One partner says that the concerns of the other, about the relationship, are not real or not important
I am going to try my hardest never to have to grace the doors of this brutal establishment again. However, on those occasions when it is unavoidable I am going to send my husband.
