LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE [W, 1-11-23]

CHRIST IN WINTER: Reflections on Faith & Life for the Years of Winter. LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE [W, 1-11-23]

 

Daughter Katie Kennedy, the author, saw on Twitter that a store in the Netherlands added a slow checkout lane for people who want to chat. There was a photo of a handsome young man sitting [a good idea if you are manning the slow lane] and checking out an old woman who had only four items. They were both brightly laughing.

The idea is to give old people, who don’t have much opportunity to talk with others, a chance to chat as they shop. It’s been so successful that they have added the slow lane to 200 more stores.

It’s a brilliant idea. One of the 8 major necessities for brain health is conversation. That’s one of the 8 major deficiencies in the lives of old people. [1]

It’s the work of the Jumbo grocery chain in The Netherlands, a response to the government’s “One Against Loneliness” campaign.

It’s a simple idea, that government should be involved in helping its citizens live good and healthy lives, and that it need not pass laws--like requiring everyone to talk to some old person every day, or face jail time, in which they are gagged while old people tell stories of olden times--but simply encourage people to be good neighbors. The Dutch government realized that The Netherlands had lots of lonely old people and said, “Let’s work together to do something about that.” So, some bright person at Jumbo said, “Okay. Let’s try a slow lane.”

It’s hard to imagine Kroger doing that. Or Wal-Mart. Or “the jewels,” as they call Jewel-Osco in Chicago. They resent having even one human cashier available, let alone someone who takes time to chat.

It was probably 30 years ago that I heard an executive of Caterpillar Corp. say that their goal was to have a manufacturing operation with no humans at all, only robots. I don’t know if they’ve made that goal yet.

For businesses, people are the big impediment. People want to be paid, get health care, be treated like… well, people. Stuff like that makes a business inefficient. It cuts into profits.

Who will buy their products and services when no one has an income…well, that’s somebody else’s problem, they say. My only concern is profit…now.

I don’t mean to be too harsh on employers. Some really do make an effort to be good bosses, and be good neighbors. And the profit margin for retail groceries is notoriously thin. Grocery stores in particular have to be careful about stuff that whittles that margin. Which makes the Jumbo slow lane all the more remarkable.

And the idea of Congress saying, “Hey, let’s have a campaign to encourage people to be nice to one another…” Well, forget that.

John Robert McFarland

 1] I do know from brain researchers like Andrew Newberg, MD, that conversation is one of the 8 ways to brain health. I have no idea if there are 8 major deficiencies for old people; I just like the symmetry. Maybe I’ll work on that list, though. See if I can get it to come out at 8.

Well, if not now, when? Okay, in addition to conversation, old people have deficits of: Laughter. Pie. Singing. Sand boxes. Puppies. Sunshine [They don’t get out of the house.] Babies.