Going to the grocery store these days can feel like a minor existential crisis. The price tags are higher than they should be, the inescapable muzak drones on and at my local supermarket, it seems as though a quiet conspiracy is afoot. Nearly every checkout lane once manned by a cashier is now closed, leaving a vast, eerie expanse of empty aisles where humans used to stand. Instead, we’re all left with the self-checkout, a quietly menacing reminder of a world where automation reigns.
And yet, amidst this corporate disillusionment, there’s the mayonnaise aisle. If you look closely, it’s almost beautiful.
