Billie Letts, an Oklahoma novelist, wrote a captivating book about a young pregnant girl who managed to live, undetected, in a Wal-Mart for a couple of months. Letts’ main character, Novalee, lived in a Wal-Mart that closed at night, forcing her to hide at closing time before bunking down in sporting goods. Had she chosen a 24-hour Supercenter, her stay would have included a host of upgraded amenities!

For a lot of small towns, like ours, a Wal-Mart Supercenter is a welcome establishment, providing an economical and entertaining gathering place for shoppers, socializers and just plain old looky-loos. And there’s a lot more to look at since the completion of the recent renovations to Enid’s Supercenter.

Just a couple of months ago, I drove into the parking lot to find the store had become a completely different color since my last visit. Nice, I thought – an updated paint job always is good for business. Then I went inside, where all heck was breaking loose. Employees were scurrying about, moving merchandise hither and yon while small and very noisy pieces of construction equipment lumbered up and down the aisles, tearing off the old flooring. Aisles were cordoned off. The air was hot, fumy and heavy with a sense of confusion. It took an hour to find 10 minutes worth of what I came in there to get! It was on the way out I noticed the sign bearing a countdown to remodeling completion. I vowed never to return for those 56 days.

But, of course I went back. And little by little the place started taking shape. By the time I stopped in before school, a few days ago, the grand re-opening ceremony was about to begin. (How do you re-open a store that never closes?) I bet most of Wal-Mart’s 300 employees were on the premises. Unfortunate-ly, they were all milling about up front while I, and the five other early morning shoppers, frantically tried to orient ourselves to the new layout.

By the time I found my stuff, all by myself, various dignitaries and officials were gathering like ants before a picnic. I quickly paid and dashed out. I mean, I’ve seen the Wal-Mart employee group chant and couldn’t imagine what they might get up to for a grand re-opening!

I figured by last Saturday, things might have settled down enough for a leisurely stroll through the premises. Me and about half the town. Though the noise level bordered on sensory overload, new and positive changes were apparent. The aisles are wider with an easier-to-reach merchandise arrangement. It all feels cleaner, brighter and less claustrophobic. The different departments now feel organized and well-stocked. Yep, 200,000 feet of everything a person might need to do, see or buy. A place where one could ... well ... live.

Living in a Supercenter, you could begin the day with a tasty breakfast at McDonald’s, surrounded by friends, lazily mulling over the day’s choices of in-store activities. Perhaps a bit of weight training in sports and leisure (isn’t that also a Trivial Pursuit category?) followed by a little aromatherapy on the candle row. After a quick snooze on the benches in front of the pharmacy, a haircut and pedicure before lunch would be dandy. By noon, McDonald’s again, (the menu IS large and varied) or perhaps just one of those cute little popcorn chicken snack cups from the deli for a leisurely walk-around lunch.

You could catch the afternoon soaps in the auto service waiting room where a television, chairs and coffee await. Half a store away stands a bank of Playstation and Wii video games to sample – a good way to keep the old mind sharp.

A brisk walk around the inside perimeter of the store with a big bag of Ol’ Roy dog food under each arm would just about provide a person’s daily aerobic requirement. And of course, no Supercenter evening would be complete without a bit of big screen TV viewing. (Here’s a tip – there’s a spot just northeast of electronics where a couple of the bigger TVs can be viewed from comfy chairs in the office furniture area!)

And then, finally, back to sports and leisure – chock full of high quality sleeping bags to make a comfy night of it, as long as you don’t mind the fact nobody is ever going to turn the lights off. Still, it’s a small con to the many pros.

Yes, I believe a person could actually live in a Supercenter quite nicely. After all, doesn’t that new slogan “Wal-Mart: Save Money, Live Better” sound like an invitation to try?



Peck is a local mother and grandmother who works in Enid Public Schools. She can be reached at peckaroonie@yahoo.com.