I probably have more guilty pleasures than the average person. I think it’s because I’m a marketer’s wet dream; I very easily buy into hype. If I see a commercial for a new movie that looks awesome, there’s magazine articles, news stories, etc and so forth… yeah, I’m going to want to go see it. Because I’m gullible.

Anyhow, I’m getting off topic here. I want to really talk about my biggest and most flagrant guilty pleasure: Wal-Mart. I loves ma Wal-Mart. It’s getting all sorts of hate in the news lately (actually, when *isn’t* Wal-Mart getting hate in the news?) and that makes me sad. Because I love Wal-Mart. I’m addicted to their low prices and aisles and aisles of product.

And I know people have legitimate gripes against Wal-Marts. Just as I know all Wal-Mart’s aren’t created equal. For every clean, well-organized, happily staffed Wal-Mart there is one that resides at the opposite end of the spectrum. And those are the ones that make the rest of them look bad.

I know it would take a disaster of epic proportions to stop me from shopping at Wal-Mart. I can’t resist the prices. I even cut coupons from our Sunday paper and *use* them at Wal-Mart. How is that for CHEAP?? But it works for me because I’m neurotic about things like paying more than $2 for a box of cereal.

We’re supposed to get a new Wal-Mart out near our house sometime. Hopefully sooner rather than later; I’m not the patient sort. I’m excited becuase then I wouldn’t have to drive 15 minutes to get to the nearest one to do my grocery shopping or pick up the newest DVD at an absurdly inexpensive price. Of course, there are others in our neighborhood who are vehemently against it. Some of them moved out here for the rural atmosphere. But with the recent housing boom around here, and all the new developments in this neck of the woods, it’s a little silly to expect this area to stay rural. And just because they’re willing to drive to go shopping and to restaurants, doesn’t mean the rest of us are. Change happens. And darnit, I want my Wal-Mart!

So before you flame my comments with accusations of my shopping habits, I beg of you… consider your guiltiest pleasure. And how you love it despite what others think because you *love* it. That’s me and Wal-Mart.