have you ever thought about the receipts that you are offered after purchasing something from somewhere?

for some reason, receipts have begun to bother me.  why, you may ask.

for years i have been really diligent in asking for and collecting receipts for everything.  when i am asked at the check out register if i want a receipt, my answer has always been yes.

the reason being — i have said to myself — is that i have the receipts if i need them to verify a purchase when i do my taxes.

but lately, i have begun to question myself.  I have been accumulating a lot of receipts over the years.  i put them in ziplock bags until the bag is full.  then i fill up another ziplock bag.  and another.

once i have a bunch of them i put them into a white garbage bag.  at this point, i probably have 10 or so garbage bags in my storage unit.  all filled with receipts collected over the last many years.

have i ever had occasion to search for a receipt that i have so carefully stored over the last several years?   the answer embarrassingly is no.  not even once.

but more recently i have begun to be bothered by receipts at some stores.  i am wondering if anyone else is feeling the same way.

a few days ago i went into my nearest CVS and purchased four items costing me $18.67.  it took a few seconds for the clerk to scan my items, get the total and ask for my credit card to pay for it.  however, it took what seemed like a couple of minutes to print out my receipt. the register keeps making noise, printing my receipt for my four items.  it prints and prints.

finally i am handed the receipt.  it is over 3 feet long.  over 3 feet long.  yes, i am not kidding. it is so long that i can barely fit it into my pant pocket.

what the hell is going on?  how can this possibly be, i ask myself.  i muse, what if i had purchased goods costing $74.68.  would the receipt be four times as long — some 12 feet long?

as if this was not enough, on the same day, i went to my local Circle K gas station to fill up my vehicle with gas.  at the pump, the screen asked if i wanted a car wash.  i pushed the button to say yes.

after filling the tank, putting in my credit card, i received my receipt.  this receipt was short, only 6″ or so.  everything is good so far, as i get inside my car, turn the key on, and move to the entrance for the very short, non elaborate car wash.

i stop at the monitor, which is asking for my account code. asking me to enter it.

i fetch my receipt from my pocket and look at it trying to find my account code.  even though the receipt is only 6″ long, the piece of paper is chocked full of numbers.  so many numbers!  eight different codes in fact.

there is a code number for the Circle K, one for the transaction, one for an authorization code, one for an invoice number, one for the store number, one for the site ID, one for a resp. code (whatever that means), and somewhere there is one for a cash wash code.

so, i start to enter the numbers i see on the receipt, hoping that one of these is the account code needed to get my car washed.  no luck.  the monitor keeps saying ERROR.  i load another set of numbers.  ERROR.  i do it again, and again.  ERROR, ERROR.

at this point i am beginning to get frustrated. really frustrated.

finally, after the umpteenth entry of a list of numbers, the monitor says PROCEED.

bottom line, i have had it with receipts.

my hope is that the next check out clerk at a CVS asks me not whether i want my receipt, but rather asks me if i want a hug.

my hope is that the next time i fill up at a fuel pump the screen will ask me if i want a receipt or a hug.  and, if i want a hug, to come into the store to receive it.

those are my hopes.  more hugs than receipts.