You know you're old when...

Hey kids... here's a tip...
You know you're old when you start to develop feelings for a grocery store.
Yes... I have a strange relationship with my local Wegmans grocery store. I enjoy going food shopping there. I won't bore you with all the details, because unless you are over 40 you prob wouldn't understand :) Lets just say that when I save a lousy ¢20 on a jar of spaghetti sauce (that tastes good too, and is made with semi-healthy ingredients) it's a good feeling.

But enough about me and my borderline obsession with Wegmans... I really wanted to talk about another reason why I like Wegmans. I feel like they are looking out for the little guy.
Recently, a friend sent me an email that at first glance I thought it was another chain email, or "cute puppy" emails. I didn't put a lot of weight behind it. It said that Wegmans was starting a new plan to GIVE away FREE antibiotics. (yes, you still need a prescription). Wegmans has offered this plan as a way to help those who need it. In the econimic times we live in now, people are struggling financially to make ends meet. It wasn't until I was in the checkout line a few days later when I saw the sign, confirming the FREE antibiotics. Wow.

So, today, I get an email from Wegmans with something that I must admit ran through my mind as well... Doctors are so quick to hand out antibiotics! In fact there are many doctors who warn against this practise and they point to things like these "superbugs" tht have built up resistance to many of the 'standard' antibiotics. So when Wegmans announced their plan to offer free antibiotics, they were met with both praise and thanks to critisim. So what did Wegmans do? The just sent a follow up email, where they published (on their website) a letter from a registered nurse that offered 'common sense' information so as to help people decided when or when not to ask the doctor for an antibiotic.

On a different line of thinking...
I thought it really interesting how the American public can be split over opinions.
Here was a company that was trying to help its customers who may be in hard times financially, and what better way to do it than to help them with medicine - yet, they also recieved criticism for doing the "wrong" thing by those concerned with too much antibiotics. What better example can you offer as to how differently people think about subjects.

I give credit to Wegmans. To GIVE anything FREE to help it's customers deserves a tip of the hat in my book.
I'll try to link to the letter from the registered nurse here: http://bit.ly/g5gj
And here is the general press announcement about this program: http://bit.ly/96V9