Who said checking out at Rite-Aid was easy?

It could very well be me.

The world has become very complex. Take for example the ritual of checking out at Rite-Aid. And this is a rant, so prepare yourselves.

First of all, at the check-out counter, there nothing Right about the Aid that this organization is supposed to render. And secondly, when the Pharmacy is closed, it is a Hardware, Beauty, and Grocery Store. Speaking as a Pharmacist, I know the difference (a major peeve of mine).

Went shopping with Pat yesterday for items Julia needs for her South American trip to visit with Cousin Mara.  An easy enough excursion, you would think.   that is, until you reach the check-out counter,...armed with credit cards.  Lesson number one:  If you can, PAY CASH. Using credit cards, (not debit), the Rite-Aid way, is a set up for confusion, at best, and worse, idiocy.

The rite aid way with credit cards is a process and involves the following: 1) One must slide the card on the right side of the "reader". 2) The card must then be inserted in the slot at the bottom of "reader", making sure that the credit card ship is facing down and is on the leading edge of the inserted card.

At this point there are a series of messages appearing and disappearing in epileptic fashion on the small screen,   processing,... do not remove card,...processing,.. please wait,...  do not remove card,...etc,.. until the "final" action that has bee taken on the card, appears (except that final doesn't necessarily mean final).  In this case the word "Approved" appeared,. What was not clear is that the approval was only for about half the bill.  Now, at this point you would think that the cashier (yes, there was a cashier) would say something to the effect,.."I'm sorry sir but only $XXX was approved,.so you owe. $XXX" No such words emerged. Instead, "You have to pay $XXX" (I must admit that I thought the charges had been drastically reduced because of my Rite-Aid Wellness card and the mint I've spent at Rite-Aid over the past many years,.. seemed a lot but who was I to question.)   Not annoyed yet. So I started the process again. and the convulsion of phrases appeared once more, this time concluding with "Declined". Was told that, that was because I removed the card too soon.  I have since learned that the initial action stated doesn't necessarily agree with the actual and final action, since two cards later, when approval was granted, the initial action had been,  "Declined", yet the final, final action was, "Approved".  Confused yet?

I'm a pharmacist,..  graduate school, research and teaching careers, the whole nine. Got started by learning this process, sans credit cards, as a cashier at Sackner Pharmacy 51 years ago.  In those days we used handwritten addition on the sides paper bags, not credit card "readers",  to calculate the customer's charges.

We've made the world more complex than it needs to be. Really?!. Maybe not.

I have the first world luxury of ranting about the complication of using a credit card to spend what would be the equivalent of 100 days salary in most of the planet's developing nations.  Its because of the world's complexities and progress we've made, that I can do that..I'm not complaining about the lack of clean water. Not railing about my lack of opportunity or oppressive political regimes (although with this year's electoral process, we'll see if Canada needs to build a wall to keep us out).

It may not be the complexities and the complications we need to protest, but the fact that all of us don't have access to that world. That in 2016, all of us don't have bank accounts or health care or education, or livable wages .. you name it.

My Rite-Aid cashier may have been patently unhelpful, but we were able to play our different roles (mine was that of an irritated and bewildered customer) in a society that allows it.  Let's just make sure that all of us get to enjoy these types of complications and complexities.

Graduation Day,....the embrace of God

Graduation day,  a day to rejoice,.  a day of celebration,  USciences,... 2016.

Look closely at the picture, to the left and in your mind's eye. She has her arm's out stretched,...wide open. It was noticeable, perhaps shocking, but appropriate.  They had all reach the goal,  Doctors of Pharmacy, at last. And others, not all pharmacists,... they were all health sciences graduates.  Not more than 5' tall, she was litererally bouncing on the balls of her feet. It seemed as though she almost couldn't contain her joy.  I couldn't see her face, but imagined it to frame a glowing and eager smile..  Arms were outstretched as she reached for the graduates headed her way. Their names were called, diplomas in hand from the Provost then picture taking with the College President, greeted by the Dean and finally the Department Chair. When they reached her, the embrace was warm, tight and familiar. She must have known each of them by name. The embrace said so. One after the other she reached for them, hugged them, held and released them. This 5'  USciences department chair.  It was,.. infectious, energetic... and lovely.

I imagine God to be that way: reaching for us, yearning for us, arms wide open, drawing us near, embracing us with a familiar and warm embrace,... infectious and lovely.  He surely knows us all by name. I have no clue as to her faith journey or even if she has one. But I watched and couldn't help but long for God's tender embrace, His loving embrace.  Wondering if we all could take a lesson from the USciences Department Chair?  What if we greeted each other with that kind of longing? What if we wanted to be in each other's arms? Greeting each other as God would greet us.  Loving each other as God loves us. Afterall, He did say to Israel,.."I have loved you with an everlasting love; (therefore) I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."  Oh yeah,.. and Jesus says something about Love one another (just) as I have loved you. Hmmm!

When we erase the barriers that divide us, all we have left is the warm embrace God intends for his creation. Today is the USciences graduation, and the 5' Department Chair is a living example of that embrace. Let's read her notebook.