- Share This Post
- Pin It
- 1
- 17
-
Sparkle (1)
The first ethical dilemma that you commented on was a confided infidelity, then a scared child. Today's dilemma is about a normal day -- with a twist. Every once in a while a movie comes out that has "alternate endings." Today's dilemma tells the same story twice, but with a special added secret ingredient the second time. Read them both and let us know (with your usual wonderful candor) if your actions would change with the second version.
VERSION ONE
It's a regular Saturday, time for grocery shopping. The new mega grocery store does have great opening prices, but it is jammed with customers. Getting all the items you need has been frustrating and annoying, but you tell yourself it is worth the money you just saved.
You have a few friends coming over that evening, and you have to get home and start cooking and getting ready. Time is starting to get precious.
You finally finish getting that last item, but now you have to stand in a long line behind a woman whose two children keep trying to play with your groceries. Their mother seems to find it amusing. After the tenth time, you do not. After all, you raised more respectful children. But you continue on, knowing that it will be over soon.
Still, now you are starting to steam. And the clock keeps moving on.
By the time you get to the grocery clerk, she is going at slow speed and holding a flirtation with the young male clerk helping her bag your groceries. By now, you can almost hear your watch ticking.
You politely interrupt them and indicate that you are in a bit of a hurry. The clerk is clearly displeased, but rings you up more quickly, just before she runs out of register tape and has to replace it. Is she taking her sweet time on purpose?
Then she discovers, almost happily, that two of your coupons have expired. "OK Fine. Just get me rung up," you say.
Is there no end to the delay?
You walk outside, and the scorching heat of the day is starting to settle in. It's hot and humid and right now all you want to do is get home. You load your groceries into the car, sweat forming in beads on your forehead, and notice that in all the flurry, the clerk has forgotten to ring up a $20 bag of dry dog food that you had loaded into the bottom shelf of your grocery cart.
What do you do?
VERSION TWO
In this version of the story, everything is the same except when you get to your car, your 14 year old son, who has been shopping with you, says: "Hey Mom, I don't think they rang up the dog food in the middle of all that craziness."
What do you do? Do you react differently?
~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs right along at Time's Fool
