The mall allure

I know it when I see it. Joann thought.

She lacked the excitement and skills of shopping around, the allure of the mega, strip, double deck, high rise, low rise shopping mall is lost on me. The back and forth of the food court lobby never seemed neither engaging or entertaining. The same is true of online malls as well. Too much clicking and not enough bricking. The tracking of Joann’s Stardruncks latte, frap double flip whip order from click to pick is not a way She would prefer to spend the day. Whether there is a portion that drives itself to charity is irrelevant as to the information given up along the way. Just not quenching enough, not self-rewarding enough. Enough is enough.

What to do, what to do. The anticipated mall experience is certainly no day at the dog park, trail park or amusement park.No hands on work done here. Repeated attempts abound to bring bodies in to the building. But frighteningly, there is little or no way out. The chances of coming and going become as scarce as the purchasing the high end limited edition Gucci bag displayed in the window.

And oh, there is the parking garage. Round and round up and down left and right. The dizzying prelude to get settled into a spot before the dizzying aura of going inside and doing the same routine-round and round up and down left and right—the quest becomes even greater, the addiction to find it becomes stronger—where is that Gucci bag?? The more Joann tries to find it, the more overwhelming and light headed the quest becomes. Somewhere along the way Joann lost herself and forgot where she came from and where she was going. How did I get here?

So much so that in the end she asked oneself, what was the goal when I first came in. Because I have forgotten. What to do what to do now. It becomes an obsession and the buzz so strong. The hyper ventilation sets it. Joann begins rushing from window to window asking herself what is the difference between all these bags and why would I pay this for this or this for that? She feels nauseous from the overload. Whose on first? Where is first? Why be first? So many questions, so little time.

And why is a bag 1 to 1000 dollars to pounds more than its cousin?

She stops to look around at the rush of bodies going here and there and everywhere. She stops to think for a second. Where is everyone going looking so busy? What are they so intently looking for? Can people be so fixated on finding that right thing that a compromise for Louis, Gloria, Fendi, is the biggest problem in their day? (Never mind the matching shoes one will need to be a track start in order to run around further to match the coveted Gucci bag.)

Did the problem just create itself? Where did it come from. Oh well. no time to think about it or fret about that now.

Joann was lost. Lost in the rat race. Lost in the meaning of why she was here. Or there. Or why the quest to have the bag of her dreams was so over powering. Just to carry on her arm and display some more.....

Seems like a no brainer. Joann pondered. But is an original always the best. The knock offs are imitations. Real, fake, does anyone really know nowadays? All this rush and conversation while there are genuinely serious threats around that abound. Is the distraction the draw? To catch us off guard. Catch us sleeping. Stop us from dreaming. Stop us from constructive doing.?

Joann found herself in the corner of the mall, unaware of where she was or how she got there. She clearly had done more laps that she could count and there was no new bag in her possession.

Thankfully, Joann still had the freedom to choose. Go back in for more? More is familiar. More is better. More is more. Right? Or Wrong? When do I stop? Stop the madness. How do I stop these forces?

When did I cross the line from need to have, gotta have, have to have, want to have? To clarify. Joann is not a fun hater. On the contrary. But like a sign of the times, may have lost her way as to what to do. What to do about it. It has been a wild ride of late. Environment has had its impact on us in more ways that we realize.

O.k. Now is the time to be an adult. Chin up and charge the mound

Pull up my boot straps. Oh crap, does that mean I need to buy new Gucci boots?Where do I find Gucci boots, Do they even make Gucci boots? My feet hurt just thinking about it. Maybe I’ll just go to a second hand store. Then I will be considered the ultimate environmentally aware person of the earth. That’s the ticket. No one will ever know. Even if it is true or not. But what is wrong with me if “they” do know. I don’t know. Do I even care?

Joann thought, I have the necessary plastic to get my bag. Where is my bag? Where is the Gucci directory. Where are the windows. I need some air. I think I am gonna be sick. I gotta get out of here now.

For no certainty to recount, the quest and the mall had lost its allure. Dejected. But. Perhaps not so. Joann made her way to any nearest exit. No matter where it led, just out of this chaotic environment of hustling, bustling, rushing and emptiness.

Character is conviction to carry out a commitment long after the excitement of the moment has passed. Exhaustingly for Joann a hard won lesson was already in her hands. She exited the circus building. Breathed the fresh air. And walked along.

Seems like a score indeed!