I’ve always wondered how people come up with memes and jokes when it comes to women and shopping. I’ve come across a handful and I’ve never been able to relate to them.  So I assume that, as is the case in many instances, people exaggerate simple things and come up with these jokes. Now, I’m a person with a good sense of humor and if I find it funny, I enjoy them rather than wondering how people could make fun of such simple things.
I think the main reason for not being able to relate to this is that, when I’m in the mood for some serious shopping, I go either with my sister or my mom. If both of them aren’t available, I’d go alone. No one else is allowed when I’m on that serious mode. Something tells me, that when you’re reading this you tend to go ‘Aww’ with a sense of pity and that you are painting a picture of someone lonely, longing for company, wishing that someone was there to accompany me. Sorry to break your bubble but my shopping alone experience is so much fun. Now that is for another day.
Image Courtesy : FreeDigitalPhotos
Thanks to the Festive Season Sale, New Year Sale, Clearance Sale, Good-For-Nothing Sale, Increase-price-by-100%-and-offer-50%-discount Sale and Because-no-one-else-is-buying-these-clothes Sale (you get the drift, I assume), in the past few weeks I’ve been running from store to store to see what’s worth buying. And, amidst the running around, I realize all those jokes about women and shopping are so true. Perhaps I was an exception. Let me elaborate.
When you’re shopping you can find broadly two sets of people. One set, who are on their own looking at the various displays. And then there is the other set who keep talking loudly about what they want and give the sales associates a very hard time, apart from irritating the others who are shopping. I’ve seen people argue about slight differences in the shade of a particular color, especially when they’re mixing-n-matching. I’ve seen people try dresses on and on for almost an hour, block the trial room and go back empty handed, saying nothing is worth buying there. I’ve seen people asking for a sample of a different color in a particular design. I’ve seen people, whose mannerisms would probably suggest that they’re out to splurge, only to leave with the most inexpensive item in the entire store. In short, I’ve seen it all.
Having accompanied my mother in a few of her shopping sprees when I was young, I guess her trait has passed on to me. Before stepping out, I always make a list of things to buy (I have an OCD on making lists!) so that I know what to look for. I ensure it is flexible enough so that I can makes changes as and when shopping, at the same time making space for a few last minute surprises at the store. Once the main part of the shopping is done, if time permits I take a stroll and enjoy the window shopping. But I wouldn’t barge into a store and demand the attention of all the sales associates present and give them a tough time and walk away empty handed.  I remember stepping into a store with a friend with no intention of buying and still picking up something nice.
So being a part of such an organized and flexible shopping mode, I was surprised to see all the jokes being played live for me. I was able to empathize with all the men and women (oh yes!) who had to bear the brunt of accompanying someone who had absolutely no idea of what to get and spends one hour for one dress. But one aspect of the said jokes were indeed false, the exaggeration, which stereotyped that all women followed that horrible way of shopping. In fact among people I know there are many like me who are done with their shopping in record time and there are a few others who take the long route. Since I’ve stated that I’m a person with a good sense of humor, instead of proving people wrong about their generic assumption, I’d rather have a good laugh.
Yesterday, when I was shopping in yet-another-store-that-had-a Sale I overheard this woman asking a sales associate,
“Excuse me, do you have a darker shade of black”
I couldn’t help laughing!

So what are your shopping experiences?