Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Outside the grocery store June 27, 2026

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 9:02 PM
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I crafted this sign in February to carry during protests in Faribault. My message remains relevant today in my community. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo by Randy Helbling)

THIS MORNING, outside a Faribault grocery store, I observed a White man overtly express his disgust for three Somalis. “Jesus Christ!” he exclaimed, looking directly at them.

I knew exactly what he meant. And it made me sick to hear the Lord’s name taken in vain by this man who clearly held nothing but disdain for Somalis. His tone of voice, his word choice, the way he looked at the trio told me precisely how he felt. And it was not loving, accepting or kind.

Here’s the situation leading to the man’s outburst: A Somali man, returning his cart to the grocery store cart corral, offered his cart to a Somali mom and her son heading into the grocery store. The cart rolled a short ways across the pavement. Not toward anyone. Not toward any vehicle. But it was enough to prompt the White guy to emphatically state, “Jesus Christ!”

I was so taken aback by his two words that I turned around and looked at him. He didn’t see me. He was walking away toward his parked vehicle. But I hope he felt the heat of the fire flaming from my eyes. Such intolerance does not sit well with me.

Onward I went with my grocery shopping, crossing paths occasionally with the Somali mom and her son, about 13. I waited in the check out line behind them, observed the son unloading groceries and then packing them to wheel out in his cart.

As I walked toward my vehicle, I saw the boy wheeling his cart back toward the grocery store. I stopped him. “I’m so proud of you for helping your mom,” I said after confirming the woman was his mother. His face lit up into a broad smile. “Thank you,” he said.

Two words. Beautiful. Appreciative. And nothing at all like the words spoken by the man who failed to see what I saw—a mom and her son heading into the grocery store on a Saturday morning. Just like me.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

An unwelcome packaging trend of more, more, more November 21, 2017

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:01 AM
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IF YOU NEEDED ONLY ONE green pepper for a recipe, would you buy three?

 

 

If you wanted only one lemon, would you purchase a half dozen?

You probably wouldn’t. But the discount grocery store I shop is now offering some produce items only as pre-packaged and in larger quantities than I want or need. That troubles me. Produce is perishable, which means I likely will end up tossing fruits and vegetables that spoil before I can eat them. With only two in our household now, we don’t go through food nearly as quickly as with three kids at home.

So you might suggest I shop at another grocery store. I do, for the items I can’t find at my regular grocer. But often times purchasing say a single pepper at the second choice store will cost more than buying three packaged peppers at the discount grocer. I am a budget conscious shopper. I have to be given outrageously high health insurance premiums (about $1,300/month now and soon to be $1,500/month) are sucking away the major portion of my family income.

The bottom line is this—I don’t like bulk packaging of food or other items such as tissue and toilet paper. The manufacturer is forcing me to buy more. More, more, more. That seems to be the American mantra in a world with too many people starving and living in poverty.

TELL ME: What do you think of this pre-packaging trend?

© Copyright 2017 Audrey Kletscher Helbling