It's not easy being green - Kermit T. Frog

It's even harder being vegan.  Especially in a small town in the fattest state in the USA.  Welcome to McComb, MS population 25,000.  Living a healthy life here is a bit of a challenge. 


There are three grocery stores in my town, Regional chain McComb Market, Semi National Kroger and International Wal-Mart.  I have to go to all three, and use mail order to do basic shopping for a varied vegan diet.

It's fun right now, like a scavenger hunt.  And I have a new game. Stump the checker.  I try to bring one thing to the register that the person working there has never seen anyone buy. 

Fruits and vegetables work best because if a product has a bar code the checkers wont even look at it.  I could be buying the components for a rape/murder kit... Plastic sheeting- beep, duct tape- beep, personal lubricant -beep, bleach -beep, axe -beep, swipe swipe swipe  "Price check on ...Clur-a-form, what dis is?"

But go get a Papaya, Mango, a funky pepper or some Bok Choy; take the little sticker off...now you got a reality TV game show.   

I actually had the young lady at the register at McComb Market ask me if I knew the code for Bok Choy.  I guess since I knew the name of it I might know the internal price code for their system.  She yelled across the store, shaking my Bok Choy like an English Nanny with a baby "Hey, Jaquavious; Wha dis is?"  Sadly, Jaquavious did not know.

Wal-Mart has pictures of the produce along with the names at the register so if a checker isn't sure of the name they can match the picture.  Came in handy for the Anaheim peppers and Casaba Mellon I bought the other day.

That's what It's been like the last 3 weeks.  Until last night.  Basically, I rode into town for supplies.  I happened to be going to Baton Rouge so I went to the seat of all that is holy...Whole Foods.  It is a small town vegan's Mecca.

It was of course.... glorious.  The produce was impressive and the snack selections were amazing.  But it's still in Louisiana, so I still was able to stump the band.

I asked for Kim Chi, a spicy pickled cabbage dish from Korea.  It's all over the Whole Foods in New Orleans but there is a larger Asian population in New Orleans I guess.

The Produce manager was stumped.  I went and asked the Korean chicks working the sushi bar and was immediately sent to the back.  Only to discover that I had mispronounced the word.  I had asked for Kim "Shi" not Kim "chee".  They thought I want to talk to Ms. Shi who worked in Dairy.

Next weekend I'll be at the mother ship, the Whole Foods in Austin, TX .  I'll get stocked up and bring back a months worth of that which we can't get in McComb.

I will work hard to maintain an attitude of openness and acceptance; especially when my choices are questioned, even mocked by strangers. 

There was a bright spot in all this; Jaquavious and the checker at McComb Market asked me about Bok Choy.  The checker said her momma is Diabetic and really needs some help with diet.   I got to explain the benefits and share with them Dr. Fuhrman's cool website.   She said she was going to try some for her mom.

Staying strict in McComb will require planning, patience and flexibility.  Oh the trials and tribulations of the small town vegan...

I do love me some White People Problems.

It's not easy being green - Kermit T. Frog