Option Overload

For someone who hates making decisions, I’ve made some pretty big ones lately. The decision to leave Africa and move to Atlanta. Deciding what to bring and what to leave behind. Choosing a new car. Signing a lease on a new apartment. Buying a couch. These are big decisions. I mean, no, it’s not like the time I spontaneously decided to get married (without telling anyone), but still, I’ve made some pretty big decisions in a very short amount of time. I’m actually kind of impressed with myself...

But of course it couldn’t last – this calm and rational approach to decision making – and last week I hit my breaking point…right there in my friendly neighborhood Kroger. The options, the choices, the thousands of products with their informative nutrition facts and labels full of promises. It was all just too overwhelming.

During my three hour shopping experience, no fewer than seven Kroger employees asked if I needed help. And by employee number five, I started to suspect by “help” he meant something slightly more professional than assistance finding the Fruit Loops. All the pesky helpfulness was starting to make me paranoid. Suddenly I felt sure they had the men in white coats on speed dial. I took a deep breath and tried to smile. “I’m fine thank you,” I said (for the fifth time). I reminded myself that in my former life in Joburg, I was lucky to get someone to make eye contact, much less offer assistance. Of course, on this particular shopping trip, all I wanted was to be left alone. I needed time. Time to study the labels, to weigh my options, to think about the very important decisions in front of me. Decisions like…oatmeal.

I like oatmeal. It’s easy to make; it’s good for you…and it comes in a variety pack so you don’t even have to commit to one flavor. Buying oatmeal should be easy, right? But no! The plain old variety pack is still there on the shelf, but next to it there's a new kind of oatmeal with no sugar, one with low sugar, and another one for weight control. There’s even an oatmeal made just for women. Were there always this many choices? I wasn’t gone that long, was I? But now that I’m back, how do I decide? I study the labels. I look at the prices. I wonder if Roger will notice if I feed him the women’s oatmeal. Buying oatmeal was never this hard before...was it? It certainly wasn’t this complicated in South Africa. That’s not to say that I didn’t have choices at the Pick 'n Pay in Joburg – I did - but it was nothing like this. Nothing like these endless aisles of products promising to make you a healthier and happier person…all this could drive a person crazy.

I know, I know. In my case, it's a short drive.