I Am Not A Shopper, or Am I?

If I ever had any doubts before, I have fewer now. After an entire day at a gianormous mall outside Portland, OR. I know I have never been, nor probably ever will be, a shopper! I suppose if I did more of it, I  would be better at it. I might even start to enjoy the experience, but I doubt it. In reality, I rarely buy anything for myself. That means I seldom go shopping. As I think about it, I haven't been to our local mall since last Christmas season. I guess that is why yesterday's shopping adventure with my daughter and a bus load of excited women from my church was a culture shock for sure.

I had no idea that the "in" colors are eye-popping neons. Pinks, yellows, blues, greens and purples that will blind a person appeared in every kind of clothing imaginable. Tees, pants, exercise gear, socks, shoes, blouses, men's shirts, sweaters, slippers, and pajamas pulsated color from store windows. Life sized mannequins, smaller than life mannequins, torso only and leg only mannequins, each strategically positioned, assaulted me at every turn I made. I was overwhelmed with mind-boggling color. I needed sunglasses.

"Who needs mind-altering drugs when looking at a clothing display knocks you off your feet and into a psychedelic what-cha-ma-call-it?"

After seven plus hours of wandering the halls, avoiding shoppers, looking into windows, going into stores to  find nothing, sitting on benches to rest tired feet and bodies, eating lunch, cinnabons, and pretzels, we dragged ourselves back onto the bus for the three hour return trip. All in all, it was an exhausting, but good day.

Here are some high lights.

People watching.

Shoes ranged from dirty sneakers to shiny neon-trimmed athletic shoes, from no-heel, short topped, suede boots to stiletto-heeled, knee-high, leather boots, from crazy two-inch soled, wedge heeled shoes to flip-flops. You name it, someone was wearing it.

I observed: zipped up, hooded, fur trimmed jackets; floor length gothic type coats;  thin strapped whatevers; turtle necks; U of O tees and sweats; too tight, too low tops; social statement and advertising tees; and everything in between including neon.

There were baggy pants, skinny jeans, short shorts, long skirts and dresses, short skirts and dresses, skirts over jeans, skirts with leggings, sweat pants, workout pants, dockers, and suits. There were knit caps, baseball hats, felt hats, silly hats, and neon hats.

Long hair, short hair, curly hair, straight hair, blondes, brunettes, redheads, bald heads, and (wait for it) pulsating, neon hair. Pick me up from the floor again and buy me some sunglasses, please.

Laughing and crying babies, running and sleeping toddlers, excited schoolagers, texting teens, moms on missions, exhausted grandparents, and husbands waiting patiently on benches, I watched them all while they probably watched me.

Other than people, I enjoyed Christmas trees, Christmas decorations, Santa Clauses, and Christmas music. I also observed a group of dogs-in-training walking the mall with their handlers. They were beautiful animals.

But for me, there was one highlight. In a clothing accessory store, as I looked at earrings, necklaces, hair bands, etc, I noticed some money lying on the floor. There, by the hair bands, were two $20 bills folded in half. In an instant I knew they had fallen out of someone else's pocket.  They weren't mine. I handed them to the cashier hoping the now-poorer shopper would return. When I checked in before leaving the mall, I was thrilled to hear that  a mother-daughter due had return fairly soon after I had found it . The money had fallen out of the daughters pocket as she removed her cell phone. They were quite excited and relieved to recover the money.

Why was this a highlight? That one incident might be the reason I went to Portland. I truly believe the Lord used me to bless several people with that one simple act. I pray the clerk was blessed. She had never had anyone turn money or anything else in before, especially $40. I pray the mother and daughter were blessed. I pray their family members and friends who might hear of the lost being found and returned will be blessed. But, if none are, I was blessed by merely giving back something that was not mine to keep.  

Now that I think about it, maybe I am a shopper after all.

Be blessed and be a blessing.

Jan