Grocery Culture
I wrote this essay for Michigan State University’s application. I spotted two typos immediately after submitting it. *bleeping bleepity bleep*
I work at Rahilly’s IGA, one of two grocery stores in my hometown of Newberry. Newberry is a small town in the middle of nowhere, and, as such, doesn’t have much in the way of diversity. The only exposure you really get to other cultures is the two or three foreign exchange students that live here each year. However, Newberry is a tourist town. People from all corners of the US, and even from other countries, come through on a regular basis, and they all have one thing in common: they need food.
During the spring and summer, tourists are here because we’re one of two “gateways to the Falls,” the Falls being Tahquamenon Falls, a popular sightseeing and camping destination. We’re also a popular ATV riding area. During the fall, hunters descend on the area, and in the winter people enjoy snowmobiling and ice fishing. This means that most people who are touring the area will end up traveling through Newberry at some point during their trip.
As a bag boy (or as I prefer to call it, Grocery Conveyance Engineer) at Rahilly’s, I interact with all of these people on a daily basis. Even though my job description only includes putting their groceries into bags and transporting them to their vehicles, my job goes far beyond that. I get to hear all about where they come from, where they’re going, and how the trip has been so far. I have to be able to give them directions, recommend restaurants, and much more. During the few minutes that I spend bagging for them, I can learn quite a bit about them, and get a feel for their culture.
That’s pretty much the limit of my cultural experience. However, I see this as an opportunity, not a limitation. Because I’ve never really been immersed in another culture, I can go into the experience of Michigan State with a completely open mind. There are lots of interesting things to learn about in the world, and I look forward to learning as much as possible about people and their culture.
