I didn’t know what I had until you were gone
Dearest Publix,
I do not even know how to begin, how to tell you that I am not the same person I was when you were in my life, and not sure that I will ever be that person again. You were there for me during my Gerber days and I transitioned me into lunchables. I will never forget the free chocolate chip cookies you would give out at bakery during my childhood years. You supplied me with all the baking ingredients needed for my bakes sales in junior high and high school.
Publix, my love, you even went as far as to follow me to college, like a loyal good companion does. It was a crucial time in my culinary experience as it was the first time I was managing my own grocery list and taking control of my own meal preparation. You knew this was a vulnerable time for me and you could have easily abandoned me but instead you showed me that a college student did not have to rely on ramen noodles to eat on a budget.
I still constantly play back the Sunday afternoon of May 15th, 2011, when I officially broke things off with you. I left you for New York City food markets, I thought at the time I wanted the more fit, sleeker version of you. Growing up that was the dream, moving to New York with all its food and glory, and never looking back. I am not going to lie, it was great for the first year, I was in the honeymoon stage, still exploring new markets, thinking that 40% of my Paycheck was meant to be allocated to groceries and eating out.
Reality hit hard one afternoon after being forced to put my expenses on a spreadsheet and quickly realized my largest expense, after rent, was food. It was confirmed as I unraveled two crumbled receipts from my local grocery store and noticed both were over a hundred dollars and came out to two bags of food I could hold with two hands and were only a week apart from each other. I know you would never do this to me, with hundred dollars at any Publix, I can feed a family of four for a week.
Even though I abandoned you these last five years, you still welcome me back every time I go back to Miami. You never abandoned me, never exploited me, and absolutely never left me hungry. Although you my\ay think I take you for granted, not one Sunday morning grocery store visit goes by that I do no think about you and how shaped me into the eater I am today.
I just want to say; even though we are no longer together I still love you and will always love you.
Sincerely,
Your Most Grateful Customer