Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Creepy...but nice!

There is something magical about creepy convenience stores at odd hours of the night.

If you've never been on some sort of ridiculous roadtrip and found yourself having to use the bathroom/grab some snacks to wake you up/top off that tank while traveling through uncharted regions, you probably won't understand that statement.

But for those of us who have, you know there is a whole new world opened up to you at these bastions of weirdness.


A world full of interesting characters, questionable hygiene and odd products. It is here where people who are lost, unable to sleep or just have too much time on their hands converge, and the collision of these elements create a wonder unexplainable.

Last night I got to experience that again firsthand. My family and I were traveling home from visiting some family in the hospital when we heard a couple little voices from the backseat:

"I've got to go...BAD!"

So we found the first place to pull off - a 24 hour convenience store! Inside were the classic characters: A loud, outgoing (if not slightly off) clerk, a group of slacker teenagers just hanging out drinking energy drinks, a guy who just got off some undesirable shift at work, and us.

So we went about our business, soaking in the atmosphere. Afterwards we decided we needed a snack for the road. So upon perusing the consumables aisle, I came upon this wonder...



Now my family accuses me of picking out the worst stuff in these situations. And admittedly I'm a sucker for weird snacks and weird drinks, but these were awesome. (And how could they not be given they are a marriage of two of the greatest junk foods of all time!)

All in all, it was a great and nostalgic experience that reminded me of how much I have loved those late night convenience store excursions. It always gives me a window into humanity. And often has afforded me the opportunity to stop and talk to some genuinely interesting people.

So, take some time this week to visit your local 24 Hour Lands of Wonder and let us know about your experience.

God bless.

3 comments:

Shannon said...

I think that "Pringles" and "mozzerella cheese sticks with marinara" should divorce.

Dave Farquhar said...

For some reason when I read this, it reminded me of that vending machine you found all those years ago that sells live bait in a can.

And that's all I'm going to say about that.

180 Youth Ministry said...

Shannon - God hates divorce.

Dave - Yes, you understand me.