The Buzz in the Store

I've gone grocery shopping literally thousands of times in my life. Usually it's a mundane task, picking the items needed for a few days to a week. Over this past weekend, I had a unique experience while in my local supermarket. It was so different, I'm wondering if others are experiencing the same thing.

As I walked the aisles as usual, I noticed people were staring at items on various shelves. It wasn't long before I realized they were staring in disbelief. Next thing I know, I'm engaged in conversation with a gentleman about just how much prices have been rising lately. He explained he was just back from Florida, where he saw the same thing, but thought it was unique to the Sunshine State.

No such luck. We both realized yes, prices are rising, and not by a little, by a lot. As I ended that conversation with a rueful smile, I realized it wasn't the only one going on. It seemed aisle after aisle had people, some friends, some strangers, talking about the rising price of food. Several cellphone conversations were going on, loud enough to hear, where shoppers were talking to spouses about whether to buy the intended product, or just the cheapest one.

It's starting to hit home, folks. Americans are starting to feel the pinch that's causing food riots and rationing in other parts of the world. And it's not just about food. Transportation costs, whether we're talking about gas prices, toll or mass transit increases are also going up. So too are those adjustable rate mortgages so many Americans got suckered into buying during the height of the housing boom. It's the perfect storm of rising prices, while wages seem to be stagnating.

It's this storm that anyone who would be our president ought to be talking about.