The pandemic changed a lot about our lives. How we travel. How we play. Even how we shopped. One particular thing needs to come back from all that pandemic mess is Walmart being open 24 hours a day. I really miss it for some weird reason. I go into why below.

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1 a.m. at Walmart

Because I'm a weirdo, I loved going to Walmart at 1 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Why? Because it was fun. There would be four other people shopping and ten to twelve workers stocking shelves, cleaning or carrying out other duties. I would be in there to pick up one or two items that I needed but it was also just to find something to do because I didn't want to go to sleep.

A Deeper Meaning

There was a deeper meaning to it, too. It was a chance to think. It was a chance to wander around and look at random stuff and think about life. For some odd reason, I could come away from that bit of wandering with a little bit of clarity. I know that's strange, but it did.

People Watching

I'm not gonna lie, either, that there were other times I did it for the sole purpose of personal entertainment. There would be times a stumbling couple would wander in or a group of friends, fresh from last call, would stroll in looking for a late night snack or a last minute pickup for the after party. It was fun minding my own business in sporting goods and hear their conversations as they were walking by.

I'm Not the Only One

I know I'm not the only one with this weird enjoyment. I really miss it. I truly believe that the world will not truly get back to normal until Walmart is back open for 24 hours. Whether you use it for personal enlightenment or just to pick up the milk you forgot, those late night slash early morning trips really felt normal.

Thanks for taking this moment to read this moment of random rambling. Reach out and let me know if you miss this, too, at michael.gibson@townsquaremedia.com.

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