If the Shoe Fits

For my English class our final was to write a 2-3 page creative writing paper. I had no idea what to write about. Then I was thinking about how I am going to Salt Lake tomorrow to go shopping and then I had a spark of creativity. Then my fingers went nuts on my key board and I started typing away. Thought I would share what I wrote.

 

If the Shoe Fits

You walk into a store. You are just there to look, to window shop. But you have a hidden agenda. You know of all people that you aren’t there to window shop. It may just be impossible for you to go into a store and come out empty handed. Of course you brought some money just in case of an emergency. Just in case you saw the most perfect pair of heels, or hand bag.

Walking into the store like a hunter stalking its prey is highly natural for you. The smell of Italian leather fills the air. You are scanning the store looking to see where the sale is, but of course your eye catches the most expensive item in the store. You may think to yourself that you obviously have good taste if it is ten times over your nonexistent budget. You set the item down because you are frugal, smart. You could possibly find and buy 20 different items for the price of one item.

 As you are walking to the strategically placed sale items in the back of the store you must walk through every isle on your way. Just to make sure you aren’t missing anything. Piling your cart until you can barely see over the top. The sale rack has everything you could possibly never need. Like the gorgeous blouse that is missing a few buttons, but you justify it by knowing that your mother knows how to sew on buttons, she could fix it. Or the picture frame that you have absolutely no room for but must have it because it is fewer than five dollars.  You may think I just want to buy this item because it is an insanely good price. You put it in the cart anyways.

As you walk into the dressing room with piles and piles of clothes in your cart you may wonder how some of the items made its way into your cart. Try them on anyways. Elimination is key when deciding what to buy. “I need this dress because it’s pink and I don’t own a pink dress. I own 20 dresses but not a pink one. Therefore I need it.” That is the thought process of a shopaholic.

Once you have eliminated half of your cart it is much easier to decide what to buy or not. You make a different pile of everything that you loved, liked, need, or want. Try not to justify everything in the want pile to the need pile. It may take some serious self control, but you can do it. Once you have chosen a few items that you cannot live without, it’s time to take your budget into consideration. Who needs groceries when you can have pretty clothes?

As you walk towards the cashier thinking about how you have ever lived without the items you are purchasing you may start to doubt yourself. Do I really need this? What would I wear this with? As you hand the cashier your money all your doubts go away. It was so simple. Swiping a card is as natural to you as breathing is.

You walk out of the store with all the confidence in the world. You rush home to try on all your newly purchased items. As you are sitting on the floor looking at the bags upon bags around you, you realize something. You are a shopaholic. The first step is admitting. Shopping to you is magical. Shopping makes everything better. It makes you feel confident, and happy. Rebecca Bloomwood from one of my favorite movies, Confessions of a Shopaholic says it better than I ever could; “When I shop the world gets better, and the world is better, but then it’s not, and I need to do it again.”  I say that life is too short, buy the shoes.