America is the World Leader in Packaging

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“Serving overseas as a small-town boy in America has been intense, stressful and humorous! Enjoy a light-hearted story with me from our last 20 years overseas!”

—Matt

By: MATT’S MISHAPS

Overseas, I do a lot of our grocery shopping as many stores do not have parking lots.  It is easiest for me to pick up some groceries when I am out on my motor scooter as I can park on sidewalks.  When shopping overseas right after getting back from being home in Indiana, I realized I had forgotten shopping bags, and it is expected that you bring your own reusable bags to stores.  No problem, I had my motorcycle helmet bag with me, which is like a large drawstring bag made of fleece.  I could put some food in the back case of my motor scooter and carry the rest in my helmet bag.

Even after checking to make sure the pouring spout was secure and not opened, it wasn’t enough as the seal in the packaging was faulty.  When overseas, we visit a neighboring country, where we can’t use the tap water for safety.  However, we have to make sure the caps on the bottled water are secure, as people will fill used bottle water containers with any water they can find and then try to sell it to foreigners.

I was buying food for a family that was coming over that evening.  I filled my back case with items and the rest of the groceries fit in my helmet bag.  Off I went home.  About midway home, I realized orangish-yellow liquid sloshing on the foot platform of my motor scooter – a juice container was leaking.  In the store I had checked the pouring spouts of all the drinks that I had purchased and all were secure.  It is not unusual for poor packaging that causes drinks and food contents to open up and spill out.  I even check the caps of liquids like milk as I have had caps opened and the liquids in the containers half consumed by a thirsty customer or worker.  I didn’t drink what they had left for me in those half-consumed bottles and the rest of it made its way down the sink.

When I got to our apartment, I put the helmet bag in the sink until I could find the culprit – an orange juice container.  I gave all the sticky wet food items a bath and dried them off and put them away.

We as small-town Americans take for granted that food and drink will stay in the packaging until we are ready to consume them.  America does many things well, but maybe in the little, yet important area of packaging, is where we shine brightest.

Something similar ever happen to you.   Contact me and let me hear your story!

mattsmishaps@gmail.com    Matt’s Mishaps, PO BOX 114, Grabill, IN  46741