Life is changing in Lake Wales… at least the landscape has a different look. The era of the big box is upon us.

It started with a mall… a real "Mall" in Lake Wales. Three big box anchor stores, fancy food court and more movie theatres than you can see in a weekend. And, just like Brandon we have our own merry-go-round. Yes, I know they call it a carousel… but to me and to most it is a merry-go-round. Yes, we are impressed. You see, we are not a sophisticated as Winter Haven or Lakeland people… it does not take a lot to ring our chime. But wait… it must impress Winter Haven as well… I see a lot of people from there sneaking around and buying stuff at "Our" mall!

Of course all the locals said the mall would sink into the muck AND that it would have to close up "after the season"….not enough people to keep that place going! They were only partially right.

That was just the start. The big orange box now looms just north of "our" mall. Home Depot. I love Home Depot. If you have nothing better to do you can always wander around Home Depot for a couple of hours. Can't understand it, but my wife does not look on that as qualifying as a Saturday night out!

But the key phrase here is "wandering around" when it comes to Home Depot. I am in a constant state of "wandering around" when I go to Home Depot, even if I know exactly what I want. Men cannot ask directions… they must "wander around" whether it is at Home Depot or on a back road in North Carolina. Enough wandering and you will achieve the goal… getting what you want or where you want to goo without asking!

But now comes the ultimate test in "wandering around". Home Depot was only spring training for the new Wal-Mart Supercenter. Is this the ultimate "Big Box" or can they get bigger?

First of all the parking lot is a maze. I think that this is just to "get your mind right" before you take the trek to the front door. But which one? Two front doors and a garden shop entrance.

You must plan your assault on this store well in advance. If not you will be "wandering" for days. In fact you cannot consider the store as one store. You have to decide; do I need food, or a new shirt or a few petunias. Pick one, you don't have time to do all three, unless you have a three-day weekend!

But the worse thing about the new store is the incessant peeping as the cashiers scan items. The noise is loud, penetrating and so far, constant. I think that it must have something to do with the psychology of selling. Or the noise is transmitted to the home office in Arkansas and if there are not enough beeps in any 30-second period, a store manager's beeper attached to an electrode is activated. Oh, you hadn't noticed this? Well you will now and it will drive you nuts OR maybe you will feel that it is your responsibility to buy enough to save that manager an annoying "blip".

Yes, life is changing in Lake Wales. We are now getting a $3 million plus City Hall. A few years ago we were about that amount in the hole. A nice new box with all the trimmings. Big parking lot, and I am sure it will come with a new computer system that will make everything better…. Sure!

New… Bigger… Better? I am not so sure. With the big boxes comes traffic. Now with all the snow birds" gone home, the traffic should lighten…. Wrong! Take a look at Highway 60 and 27. Non stop cars. Yep, we are almost there…. Non stop traffic.

Excuse me while I click on Amazon.com and buy a book… and let the post office battle the traffic!

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