note to self...

I ventured into the mall today. Generally, since my departure from the retail trade, the mall isn't a place that I suffer well. Working from my "satellite office" put me in proximity such that I had no reason not to visit.



Not long after my re-entry into the world I tend to avoid, a couple things happened. The first is that, after witnessing a no less than veracious level of consumerism, I resolved to reduce my carbon footprint by committing to adopting a 'thrift store only' shopping policy. Save, of course, those sale items that I musn't live without. The other thing that happened was quite interesting (at least to me). I began to play "I Notice/I Wonder." I'm not sure if that game has embedded itself in my brain from my work in the city school system or because it was used as a training exercise during my time in sales. Either way, it came to me as if from the air. I simply began to make the observations organically. And, so it was.



I noticed a pregnant Jewish and wondered if Hannukkah was over. I noticed a sartorially resplendent gentleman and wondered why his pants didn't meet the tops of his shoes. I noticed a few reasonably priced bowties and wondered if they would mark the end of my 'thrift store only' policy. I noticed a lot of exasperated consumers and wondered if they could afford there purchases. I noticed a dude wearing bright red, satin slippery earls with a matching jacket and wondered "Who in Hell does that?" I noticed a lot developmentally challenged young folks in all areas of the mall and wondered if they were together, as a part of some field trip. I noticed a sweater for sale in Eddie Bauer and wondered why it was the exact same sweater that I sold quite successfully fifteen years ago. I noticed a woman pulling the walking cain away from her companion and wondered a great many things. What was the relationship; mother and daughter or simply siblings. How common is the love that challenges one to do? Why was such a young woman suffering such an affliction? How does one survive the notion of being physically less than she had been in the past? Will she realize a complete recovery? Does she define recovery in a conventional way? How would I handle a similar circumstance?



note to self...I imagine one would have difficulty understanding his own strength without it being tested.

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