The Depressed Mall

I went to the mall today. Now those who do not know me may say "Big deal, everyone goes to the mall."

I don't.

I do not like to shop, much less in a mall. I get claustrophobic among all that consumerism. So why did I go today? I was having my car workd on and the garage is right by the mall. So rather than sit in the waiting room with the 5 very angry looking people there, I headed over to the mall to see what I have been missing.

I walked in a non-anchor store entrance, passed two photo studios and a nail salon. I briefly though of getting a manicure but the idea of a mall manicure did not seem hygenic for some reason. I eased myself in to shopping by going into Macy's. I feel comfortable there. I worked at Macy's in high school and college when it was Bamberger's.

There were sales everywhere. Not that I need anything but all the sales made me think I should need something. I bought two mock turtlenecks for $6 each and felt good about that. I always need a good turtleneck (I am beginning to become Diane Keaton. She always wears turtlenecks). I did not go into the men's dept. Hubby likes to buy his own clothes and I never seem to get it right. Passed on the boy's dept. too. The in-laws buy kiddo the cutest clothes. Why should I shell out the bucks?

Bored, I headed out into the depths of malldom. I looked at the stores but could not see any reason to go inside. The kiosk vendors varied from looking hopeful to bored. I also could not see a need for any of their products. Feeling very old lady-ish, I went into Hallmark. Got some Valentine's stuff for hubby and found a sale rack with cool stuff. I got some neat Christmas gifts that I will stow away.

I walked the whole mall. There were stores that had closed, stores that were going out of business and ones that were empty except salespeople trying very hard to look busy. I am happy they have jobs and I hope they can keep them. I just cannot find any reason to even walk into 90% of those stores. When I was a teenager, I did. My love affair with the mall died sometime in my twenties.

Luckily the car was done in just over an hour. I picked it up and happily drove home to play outside.