Choices

I'm at it again. Yes, more choices.

The other day a friend tells me that they're sick of going shopping at Woolworths. So I suggest they find an alternative. They look at me like I'm asking for the impossible. As if there are no other grocery options around. They sat there and complained about the prices, the lack of quality despite the advertising campaign stating they are the "Fresh food people". Yet if you asked me to place any fruit that I deemed unworthy into the provided bins they have for wastage, I'd probably ask them to provide me with a fork lift so I could move all the pallets to the compost heap.

While there are the corner fruit shops that at least provide better quality, that give you a choice. All of a sudden every fruit shop in town is another alternative. What about other grocery chains such as Coles. While they might not be better, they are another option.

I myself shop at the Farmer's Markets on Saturday. While this limits me to what I can buy thanks to the 4 seasons Earth exhibits around the year, at least the fruit and veg is grown during a time of year it's suppose to be rather than grown in controlled environments usually aided by some form of chemical to help it along.

The downside is, I only get that one day a week to do all my shopping. If I sleep in, or miss out then I don't eat. But at least I have a choice. The local fruit shops around me provide me with less than ideal alternatives I'm willing to accept for my laziness, which has yet to happen.

This problem doesn't just stop with food. It's computers too. As an IT support business owner, the majority of complaints I get these days are about how poor Windows Vista is. While their associated service packs have fixed a lot of things, a lot of other things are still broken. Subsequently, I tell those customers that they have a choice. There are alternatives. You can go back to XP. You can try a Mac. You can install Linux. As such, my business supports all of the above.

The reality of it is, we all have choices. I mean, right now I'm reading about a few different people who have made the choice to leave suburban life, or city life and live off the land. Get away from everything and getting back to basics. This idea appeals to me, though I'm not a handy man. So I'm not sure how well I'll cope putting together a dwelling that can be lived in like some of these people I have been reading about. While you might start picturing me living in the outback, Australia. Trying to grow some cucumber for my salad. I would like to think that I could do that. However the reality is I'd supplement it purchasing foodstuffs as well. Either way, it'll be my choice. Whatever it is I do.

And that's really the whole point. So next time you hear someone say "ah well, whatayagonnado?" The answer is simple. Change.