Sunday, May 18, 2008
Yesterday I went to a mall here in Orange County. I wasn't looking for anything particular, I was more or less there for some retail therapy. Devan was napping and John was playing xbox so I figured it was a good time to slip away for a while. The mall is nice. It has an entire Pottery Barn Kids store, which I've never seen before. I didn't even bother going in. I did, however make a quick stop in Gap Kids. I browsed through the clearance rack for about 2 minutes and found a shirt for $3 that I couldn't refuse. I grabbed it and got in line.
In front of me in line was a woman with her daughter who looked like she was about 10. The woman was buying piles of baby clothes. I almost got out of line because it looked like it was going to take a while, but I stayed. This woman had mounds of clothes. Shirts, pants, shoes, jackets, swim suits, etc. It all looked newborn size. While this woman was getting ready to pay for this giant bag of clothes, a friend of hers walks in the store. They start talking.
Lady buying clothes: Hi! How are you?
Friend: Good, blah blah blah
Lady: Are you going to so and so's baby shower tonight?
Friend: No, I can't make it. Are you going?
Lady: Yeah, that's what this is for- (pointing to her gargantuan pile of clothes that the cashier is still loading into bags).
They say goodbye. The cashier gives the lady her total: $371. She swipes her credit card and is off with her extra large over flowing bag of clothes for an infant that will outgrow them in less than two months.
I was torn between staying in line to buy my $3 shirt and chasing after the woman to ask her if she wanted to come to my baby shower next time I have a baby. Or I'd ask her if she wanted to adopt a daughter and grandaughter. Or I thought about asking her if she had any unmarried sons...
As I walked out of the mall the world around me seemed to be in slow motion. I carried my one tiny little bag with my little $3 shirt while everyone else around me had multiple large bags and boxes, laughing and smiling as they loaded their bounty into their big suv's and small convertible sports cars.
I didn't move to Orange County. I moved to the twilight zone!!
Maybe this is why we are friends because we realize this kind of stuff...
It's not like that here...oh no, folks here in hill-billy country are spending their money on teeth implants, cowboy hats, and chew. The only bling we see is their silver teeth. No BMWs here, just pimped-out tractors. Registrations at Pottery Barn? Unheard of. Walmart all the way, baby. You can get your 50-piece china set for $9.99.
Ok, it's not really like that out here...kind of.