When you feel stressed, do you start to wrinkle and frown?  I do and I have some facial “ruts” to prove it.   Occasionally, I have applied facial masks in order to help get rid of those furrows.  And today, I have a recipe for a wonderful, stress relieving facial mask that can be used by men or women.  It works for me every time!  I promise your stress will go down with this treatment.  
You will need to go to your favorite grocery store and buy: 1 bag of butterscotch chips (or chocolate), 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1 bag of those crispy, Chinese noodles and 1/2 cup of peanuts.  Using a large bowl, melt the chips and peanut butter but don’t get it TOO hot.  Add the noodles and peanuts.  Stir till well mixed.  Apply all over your face.  Make sure to apply generously to the lips...inside and outside.  I’ve found if I’m really worked up, the more inside the lips, the better!  The oils in the chips and peanut butter add good moisturizers to your face.  The noodles and chips provide plenty of roughage to scrub away dirt and grime.  Try this at home and I promise instant results!
Speaking of grocery store, I’m reminded of a grocery store manager I met this week.  I’d purchased a bottle of medication and when I got home I noticed it had already been used.  
Evidently, someone needed some relief but did not want to pay for it.  Anyway, I called and spoke with the manager.  He was extremely nice, and told me he would make it right even though I no longer had the receipt.  I took the product back, met the manager in person and asked him if this kind of theft happened often.  I learned some disturbing facts about shoplifting.  This one grocery store loses $4,000 - $5,000 every year in the candy department !!  Seems many young people steal the candy to sell it at school.  Multiply that by all the grocery stores in Kingstree, then in Williamsburg County, then in South Carolina and all over the U.S.  And folks, that is just in the candy department!  
Every day he comes in wondering what has been stolen or opened and used in the past 24 hours.  There are always multiple items.  Sometimes “teams” of people come in to the store.  One stands in the front on a cell phone and warns the other “team” members if a member of management is approaching.  Management knows who these people are but there is nothing much they can do about it.  
He gave me an example of seeing someone shoplift an item on video security......let’s say it costs $7.  If he calls the police and presses charges, it may take a year for the court case to come up.  
Then he may have to make several trips to Columbia for the hearings....during which the thief’s lawyer asks for a continuance..... because he knows he can “wear down” the store manager.  
At some point during all this, the store manager begins to feel he is the criminal....”Did you actually see him put this in his coat pocket?”  “No sir, but we have it on video.”  “Oh, so you did not actually see him?”   The judge lets the robber go.  The manager feels like an idiot, has now spent hours away from his store and has paid several hundred dollars trying to make a point.....and for what?
This manager has observed children stealing right in front of their parents.  The parents either have no reaction, giggle about it or sometimes join in!   He has seen much more that he won’t even tell me.  
Be assured that he also gives people food continually.  If someone comes in hungry, they leave with food.  Even the cashiers have come up to him and requested help for a needy person and have always received it.  Seems to me we’re talking about a decent, hardworking South Carolinian trying to make a living for himself and his family!
What is wrong with this picture?   Why should you care?
Well, for starters it is just plain wrong.  Do you remember when there was a right and wrong?  There still is!  I remember taking something as a young child, getting caught, and watching my Mama bawl as if there’d been a death in the family.  That tore me up inside!  That was much worse than having to return the item!  I’d broken my mama’s heart!  Daddy?  I was just glad he didn’t throw a conniption.  It was one of those times I’d wished he’d just spanked me.  But oh no, I had to sit there and watch her cry and listen to his stern lecture!  I had to make full amends and I was totally embarrassed!  Their caring chastisement and correction left a picture in my mind I have never forgotten.
Nowadays, it seems like mamas and daddys really don’t care....and some even think it is cute.  Some join in!  It would not be so cute if their property was being stolen now would it?  Now that would be a different story!  And I bet it would have a much different ending too.
Secondly, you currently are paying about 30 percent more for your groceries because of theft.  That is a lot of money!  One third of your grocery money goes to undo what a thief has done.  And the way things are heading, I think this percentage will just increase!  
Thirdly, let’s say you work in the candy department.  You are in charge of all that happens there.  You are held responsible and may lose your job if the inventory is out of whack.  
So here is my question:  What is the answer??
Do grocery stores lock up the candy like they have the baby formula and cigarettes?  Maybe everyone who goes shopping has to walk around with a guard to make sure they don’t steal?  Maybe we should all hand over our cell phones at the entrance?  
Maybe everything needs to be under lock and key and someone has to unlock the cooler for us to get a gallon of milk?  Maybe we should cut off the hands of people who steal like they do in other countries?  (Sure cuts down on the theft!)  Maybe we should make it much easier to prosecute criminals?  Maybe we teach every child we know about right and wrong?  Maybe we should not  think it’s funny when they steal?  Maybe we don’t excuse it just because everyone else does it?  Maybe we support programs that provide food for the hungry so they won’t think they have to steal to eat?  Maybe if our child does it, we march him back into the store to face the consequences?
Whew!  After all this I am feeling awully worked up.....I think I’ll go mix up that facial mask!
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