August 11, 2009

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
Shopping is something that I have always enjoyed. I do not have to purchase something every time I just want to know my options. I love to window shop. Jim is not a window shopper- he knows what he wants and he goes to the store and buys it without looking to the left or the right. I might know what I want- but there may be something much better that would suit my needs. Years ago, people bartered for items. My grandparents would take in their milk, cream and eggs to town and trade for cocoa, flour, sugar- or whatever they needed at the time. I think that I would enjoy that type to bartering. When I came along people bought things much like we do now with the exception of the use of credit cards. But now I feel like I am being cheated, as I am not sure what I think of buying items on-line. Mom and I went to a couple department stores in Dodge City and she needed a pair of shoes. Mom has very flat feet and she is hard to fit. She must try on the shoes to make sure that they will work for her. In both stores when we asked for a narrow shoe, we were told that they only sell them thru the internet. I thought when a customer took the time to drive over sixty miles to make a purchase the store could at least stock the items they are suppose to sell. We came home empty handed and a little disgusted. I do not know how anyone buys shoes on-line. I know you can always send them back- but who wants to pay for all of that postage. And do not get me started on postage. I know that I am getting older as things that are not the way they used to be; is making me cranky.
People can buy all kinds of things off the internet- I am guilty of purchasing a couple of items- I have found that it could get to be addictive. You can buy almost anything and if you cannot buy it, you can find someone who does. Since I love to shop, and I can shop for anything. I think that I could get into a little bit of trouble. If this takes off our grandchildren will never have to leave their homes. They will be able order all of their needs off the internet-or whatever it becomes. They will never have the thrill of getting up early in the morning to take off with their mother to buy school clothes or to take that special day to go out and buy that one of a kind prom dress. They will not get the adventure of going to store after store after store to buy the perfect wedding dress. While you are shopping, you eat at a fun restaurant that your dad does not like. I know that some of my fondest memories I have with my mom is when we would go shopping- My mom could sniff out a bargain like no one else. When we went prom dress shopping, we shopped out Woodward and Alva Oklahoma. All of the dresses were too expensive so we went to Dodge City, this is when Mom told me that she was not going to spend over twenty dollars for my dress- otherwise she would just make one- I was so horrified that mom was going to make my dress- not that she was a bad seamstress; I just did not want a homemade dress. But we found a dress that was just what I wanted and it was marked down to eleven dollars and seventy- five cents. I was happy and mom was satisfied. If we could have just went on the internet, bought the dress we would have missed the hunt, and it is, most definitely, all about the hunt.
Maybe I am a shopahloic- I guess the first step is identifying the problem- Hello- my name is Vanita and I am a shopahloic.