Originally published between 2015 and 2018, this post has been updated but preserves its original publish date as best as possible as content is migrated from the archives of The Flavored Word.
Ever wonder what happens to the fruit at the bottom of the pile? Yes, this is going to be another post about one of my recent trips to the grocery store. So, you know those nicely stacked pyramids of apples, oranges, lemons and limes that line the produce section of the Piggly Wiggly … what I want to know is what happens to the pieces that make up the bottom tier? Do they ever get purchased? Do they ever have the chance to end up in a nice bowl on someone’s kitchen countertop or are they destined to be left behind, knocked off their stand and rolled under the edge of their respective shelf only to split and mold? Did that sound like a take on Langston Hughes to anyone else? Sidney Poitier, are you reading this?
So … can someone tell me, is there someone out there (maybe you?) who actually digs under the top layer and takes a chance on the lonely, possibly bruised apples from the bottom of the stack?
I mean we’ve all seen the apron-clad “restockers” take the newbies from their cardboard boxes and reshape those shiny produce pyramids. And as I ponder this a little more, I realize I’ve never seen anyone EVER pick an avocado or a tomato or any piece of produce from the base of the collection. So today, and yes this might be one of those instances where you can legitimately call me strange, today, I placed a little yellow sticker on one of the apples at the bottom of the stack … and you know what I’m going to do tomorrow? Yep, I am going to go back and see if that apple’s become one of the chosen few—if it’s been removed, rearranged or if it’s fallen from its shelf and been left to rot on the floor.
And tomorrow, maybe I’ll let you know the outcome because I know, like me, the “What happens to the fruit on the bottom of the pile caper” has you perplexed as much as I 😉 It really could be a Hardy Boys episode, don’t you think?? Today’s post inspired by the fruit at the Piggly Wiggly.
Cover image created with Google AI.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a writer and an editor. And I try my best to make sure every post is articulate and free from errors. However, being that I edit my own work—and it’s next to impossible to properly edit your own work—I admit, occasionally there may be an error or two I miss. But doing so doesn’t make me an idiot so don’t be mean. Just smile, pat yourself on the back for finding an error and be glad you’re not the only one who makes mistakes sometimes … xoxox
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