I am South African. My husband is American. We have spent quite a bit of time in both places. Enough to have a child born in each country during our respective stays. To complicate matters further we spent a priceless nearly two and a half years in Ukraine where we found friendships that are still going strong five years later. But here’s the thing: nowhere does all that time abroad affect me more than when I am in the toothpaste aisle of our local (American) grocery store.
People, I am scared of the toothpaste aisle.
The mind-reeling array of choices makes me feel lightheaded and I. Can’t. Decide. Seriously, how do you? I mean, just LOOK at it!
Do I want to whiten, brighten, or cater to sensitive teeth? Do I want mint, cinnamon, spearmint, bubblegum, or winter mint? Do I want one stripe or two? Do I want baking soda in my toothpaste? (That option had me stumped for years, I tell you). Do I want a tube that lies down or one that can stand up? Am I swayed by the box with the scratch and sniff option (quite frequently I am) or am I looking for the “Dentist recommended” stamp of approval?
Because, dude, I could get all of that and then some. I bet there’s a toothpaste that would sing Yankee Doodle and salute as it steps out of the box! It’s America in a grocery aisle – vistas of opportunity – mine for the choosing. I never seem to get quite used to it. I step into that aisle and blink twice, stand my ground and stare.
It brings me face-to-face with how blessed I am. My house may not be my own. My schedule may feel unmanageable at times. And my dreams unrealistic. But then I look at all that toothpaste, and I know: anything is possible.
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
haha–i know this feeling well. it’s crazy that we have so many options for almost everything. i usually feel overwhelmed in the grocery store unless i have a list. my default plan is to buy the cheapest brand of everything on my list! unless the cheapest brand is disgusting. i do have some standards. not many, but some.
Hahaha – that’s funny. Mostly because it’s exactly how I shop too!
I’m getting sweaty palms just reading your post. To top it off, every time I settle into a brand… of toothpaste or some other product… I read somewhere about an ingredient being the root of all modern medical woes and find myself back at the drawing board… or grocery store display… sweating it out again.
And this is why I have stopped reading ingredients……
That is so funny, I know the feeling. There is just too much to choose from. I make my own toothpaste sometimes or I just grab the cheapest tube on the shelf.
I have something for you over at my blog.
How does one make toothpaste? Wowzers! I can barely make mac ‘n cheese!
OK, I finally have my homemade toothpaste recipe up on my frugal living blog. Simple instructions on how to make it
I hope it eliminates your toothpaste stress!
No way! I am headed over right now to check it out. I gotta see this to believe it!
Too funny! When my husband I moved back from Germany several years ago, I found that grocery shopping took me hours (no, really, hours!) because of all the choices for everything!
This is why I have happily handed over the grocery shopping reigns to Pete. I mean, don’t even get me started on the toilet paper options!
I always feel a little lost at the sight of all those different toothpastes to chose from. For better or worse, that’s America for you
Blessed we are, though often times with too many choices!
SO pleased to know I am not alone in my irrational fear of the toothpaste aisle!
How funny and so true!! Thankfully I haven’t visited a toothpaste aisle in years (um, and not because I don’t brush…) – I buy a natural kind without fluoride and saccharine from our food co-op, because the regular kind and I don’t get along. I feel this way about dog food, too. Have you ever been down the pet food aisles? I think they market more to dog owners than the dogs. I mean, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read Super Moist Meaty Chunks of Filet and Gravy Au’Gratin Beefy Casserole Morsels on a package of dog kibble and thought to myself “Wow, now that sounds GOOD” – as if my dog cares.
Oh, you made me chuckle so hard with that perfect description! Absolutely, I think we could all probably survive on dog food if need be! Just think what it could do for our hair
I’ve heard other people say that about American stores before – and I have to admit, sometimes Super Walmart does me in. But, what helps is a genuine aversion to trying new things. For example, once I found Crest Whitening with Scope, I didn’t need to look any further.
But this is what I’m talking about – I will find a brand I like and then never be able to find it again (or remember it) amidst the sea of other options. I totally remember the crest with scope experience but could never seem to track it down again. These days I am totally a sucker for the scratch ‘n sniff options! Brilliant marketing! Now I don’t have to surreptitiously sniff tubes in the aisle….
Hi from another South African, living in the UK with 4 kids. My fav is aquafresh, but the one in the UK does not taste the same as the SA one – nevermind hey?
Cute kids, pop over for a visit sometime
Love Jules
xxx
Hi Lisa-Jo..
I will never be able to go shopping in the US.. I can’t even remember my favorite brand as it is now.. with very little options I manage to still buy the wrong flavour! In that way we had it good in Ukraine, where I used to buy the kind I could either get the store attendent to give me or the one where I could remotely figure out what was in the tube in the first place.
Funny you said in your comments that you can’t even make mac ‘n cheese.. I was just telling someone about the soup making afternoon we had at my dad’s place in Kyiv, yum! At least you know how to make soup from scratch!
I’m off to work, another 2 and a half days and my vacation begins, can’t wait!
Take care, Annelies
My favorite part of your comment is how you spelled “flavour” – ahhh good old British spelling! Makes me SMILE!
Well, I grew up in a house of marketing. My mother taught college Consumer Behavior classes and since I was 13, I helped her create brand name/tag line crossword puzzles for her classes, cause I had a knack for jingles. Sadly it’s all done to confuse you, and it works, muhahahaha.
I use the sunday coupon method. Cause there’s always one or two, and I know what ever I pick from the paper will sure to be in stock.
And I use those one-time-use things. I have a bunch in my car. I blame the baby on my tooth brushing forgetfulness. They should go home with mom’s from the hospital.
i’ve lived in SA for 11 years now, but travel frequently back and forth to america. (my current situation aside…)
and every time i transition back to life in africa, i get easily frustrated by the lack of options and variety.
and every time i transition back to america, i get easily overwhelmed by the abundance of options and variety.
double-edged sword!
I recently learned to never pay for toothpaste! The deals at the drugstores are CRAZY so I am no longer chosing my tp by what I want but rather by what I can get for pennies! (it has to be crest or colgate for me though!!)
Yea, I am a crest gal myself. They have the scratch ‘n sniff boxes – I think that is PURE GENIUS!
When you put it like that, whew! I mean, REALLY!?! Seriously, if I want a workout, I’ll hit the Wal-Mart, supersized please. Heaven forbid, I forget ONE item after reaching the OTHER side of the store! This is when you debate how much you really needed that ONE item to begin with. Seriously.