I like buying organic celery. I like it being available at my local large chain supermarket, and when it’s not there I get cranky. It doesn’t cost that much, it’s usually fresh and crispy and I like to add it to a lot of cooking. It was so fresh and crispy recently that it had two resident slugs and an earthworm worm in it. Now that’s a happy celery.

I tried to buy it the other day, and it was out of stock. Other supermarket no organic produce. Fruit shop says no to organics and health food shop all out…. sigh.

Fine, I will do with out it….

No damn it, I want my organic celery!

Swimming lesson for Monkey Boy and it happens to be near a rather large shopping centre. Right I will pop in there and get it. Their chain supermarket is really big in there, no problems…. in I go and they have completely gotten rid of their organic vegetable section, except for a couple of flaccid looking zucchinis. Flaccid zucchinis are not going to cut it.

Feeling a little deflated now, I half heartedly walk into a really large fruit and vegetable shop and ask if they have an organic celery…

say what?…

organic celery?…

you want what?!…

organic….

oh never mind do you have any organic anything?…

Organ?…Oh organic, no no no no.

Right.

Feeling like I wanted to stomp my foot and yell “I want my celery!” I left.

Leaving the shopping centre all I felt was an overwhelming sense of I don’t fit in here. The consumerism that was surrounding me made me feel as if I was going to choke. The jacket suddenly felt tighter, the neon lights that bit brighter the donuts that bit more pinker. Through the sliding doors I rushed, (without my celery) Why does no one else want to buy organic celery?! (Ok, so it wasn’t all about the celery, I was having a bad day, and this just topped it.) Outside, I breathed in the late afternoon drizzly rain, and walked back to where my boys were watching my boy swim his first ever lap. Suddenly the celery didn’t matter. The consumerism while annoying, it wasn’t my life. As I watched Monkey Boy get out of the pool, a twinkle in his eye  and a proud walk in his toes. I knew that the organic celery could wait, and I would get some next time. (And if it wasn’t there next time?… then I was going to be one of those annoying customers that keeps badgering them until they did.)

* Shoppers guide to residual pesticides in fruit and vegetables. While this is a USA publication, (at this stage I am unable to find an Australian one) I am led to believe that Australian grown produce would be similar in its residues. With celery topping the list.