Advanced Essay #2: Getting Lost in Walmart

Getting Lost in Walmart

“Do you remember where you last saw your mom, son?”

“Yes, but she’s not there anymore”

“Let’s walk around and try to find her, okay?”

We made three laps around the entire Walmart, but to no avail. We couldn't find her. I can’t say I wasn’t used to this though. Walmart was a consistent trip for my mom and I. Getting lost in the wonderland of secondhand products and reduced oatmeal was an everyday thing.  

in the store. It was something that was a daily occurrence in Walmart world. We get there, she usually says

“Don’t touch nothing, don’t look at nothing, cause

you not getting nothing.”

But our compromise was always,

“Can I go to the toy aisle?’ Or

“Can I look at the videogames?”

    It was something that always got me lost once I tried to come back to her, when I became bored of looking at the toys and videogames I knew I wouldn't get. I still always found it amazing to see how many toys and videogames there were in just one store.

    This time on our trip to Walmart, I begged and begged my mom to let me go to the toy aisle because we were doing boring clothes shopping. And finally I got my wish of being able to go but not before I was given very strict instructions.

“I will be in this area clothes shopping. If you don't see me here, then I am in the dressing room. Don't get lost this time.”

    I nodded my head feverishly and darted off to the toy aisle. I was finally able to go off and be on my own journey, discovering the world of Walmart and seeing what new things were in stock. In some ways I was proud that even though I usually got lost on my adventure, I was trusted to do it alone. Something many kids couldn't do.

     As I navigated through the aisles to my destination, I had to quickly plot out if I would go to the toys or videogames first. I could go to the land of videogames first, and stare in awe at the treasure beyond the glass barrier. Or should I just go to toy island and run through and discover its many treasures. To someone as young as I was it was a huge decision. But I decided to best way to keep my adventure long and entertaining was go to the land of videogames first.

    When I first arrived there, I gazed at just how many there were in awe. I walked up and down the aisle gawking at each game. I did two or three more wraparounds before I decided it was time to go to toy island. There I got to run up and down wayyy more aisles, and inspected many different toys. Even the girl toys when I got bored! It was an amazing time to be able to be free and go on my adventure by myself but now I was ready to go back to my mom.

“MOMMY WHERE ARE YOU?”

I couldn't find my mom anywhere! She had said she would be around in the clothes area but yet she was nowhere to be found. I searched and searched for her before I decided I should go on another journey by myself to find her. It would be the most epic journey ever conducted in Walmart, and most of all it would will be done by one person. I scoured each island of Walmart. From the land of food to the realm of pets supplies, I desperately searched for my mom. I just couldn't find her anywhere. I even took another detour where the toys were before a Walmart worker asked if I was lost. At that point I knew my adventure was over and said

“Yes”.

    As sad as I was to see my adventure come to an end, I still had to go home after all with my mommy.

“How long after you been lost for?”

“I don't know, not super long…”

At this point I had the entire system they would do whenever there was a lost child. The workers always asked

“what is your moms name?”

Then they would page through out Walmart for my mom to come to the front to pick me up. After once or twice she was never relieved that much to get me. We both just got used to it. This time she wasn't too happy.

“Saamir, I told you where I would be this time!” My mom said with a huge frown

“I went there! You said the clothing area and that's where I went.”

“Did you check the dressing room?”

“Umm… I didn't hear that part. I thought you meant outside of the dressing room.”

“See, next time you should listen better.”

“Sorry mom”

    Throughout my story, I had the somewhat unique experience of going on my own adventure despite it being in just Walmart. But my adventure would have my cut short if I had used the literary lense of listening better to my mom and paying attention to the fact she would be in the dressing room. But at least me being lost was routine for us , so there was no panicing.