I went directly to the fabrics department. I needed nylon netting. There was no one at the counter, so I decided to get groceries.

About 15 minutes later, I returned to the department. Again, no one was there. I didn't think this was odd, since it was around 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

I went over the nearby jewelry department and asked if I could get some help. They got over the intercom and paged someone, anyone, to help me.

I waited a couple of minutes. No one arrived. Finally, the woman at the jewelry department paged a man, I won't use his name, to come assist me. About five minutes later, I heard a voice behind me ask "Hello, is anybody there."

"Hi. I need some nylon netting."

"Uh, how much," he said.

"About three feet."

"It only comes in yards."

"OK. A couple of yards will do."

He measured the netting and cut it off. Wow, this guy is pretty good at this, I was thinking.

"What do you use this stuff for," he asked.

"It's good for washing dishes."

"Really."

Next came the part where it all unraveled.

He pulled out a scanner, which is referred to by some Wal-Mart insiders as "the gun."

He scanned something on the reel that held the netting. I don't know if it was a bar code or what.

He seemed dejected as he clearly was trying to "gun" the label. Apparently, it was not reading the price or whatever. Something was not working.

He then went to the jewelry department and got another scanner. The associate tagged the item again, apparently with the same result. He clearly was getting frustrated, but kept his anger in check. No profanities were dropped.

He tried to punch numbers into the top of the scanner. I guess that didn't work either.

He kept looking over at associates in the jewelry department. Maybe for someone to come over and rescue him. Then he tried to use another type of device to ring the purchase up.

"Having troubles," I finally asked.

He didn't respond.

"I could take it up to the front cashiers and they could ring it up with my other things," I proposed.

"No. It needs to be done here."

Sorry I didn't know the Wal-Mart protocol. (Protocol, oh yeah!)

"OK," I said.

After watching him struggle for a few more minutes, I ended his difficulties. It would've been cruel and unusual punishment if I didn't. It was like a fish flopping on the dock. I merely kicked it back into the water.

"That's OK,man. Just forget it."

I walked off. I didn't make a big spectacle of it, like some might've done.

If I have a point to this babbling, it is that Wal-Mart is good for low prices and variety. But you can't beat the personal attention of a smaller, so called "Mom and Pop" store.

I was talking to an older guy the other day. I told him about a reader who called up mad that we included the phrase "one stop shop" to describe Wal-Mart in a front page story prior to the supercenter opening.

In reply, the man gave a good example. Say you need a certain size bolt or washer or something similar that you need to complete a job. Smaller, more specialized stores probably can help you out more than Wal-Mart. He said employees at the smaller stores will help you find those smaller, out-of-the way items. Maybe they won't even charge you anything.

Guess I have to go back. I still need nylon netting. Wonder if there's any Mom and Pop stores in Fort Scott that sell it?