No Shopping, No Peace

Have you noticed lately that since we've been in this crazy economic crisis that shopping isn't the zen experience it use to be?

I am the type of person who likes to do what I call, Window Shopping with the Option to Buy. I simply like to walk around looking with no real plan in mind and if something tickles my fancy at the right price, I'll buy it.

This is my way of relaxing. This has always been a very peaceful and serene way to spend a lazy day.

Well not anymore. With the economy being what it is, no one is really buying anything therefore the salespeople are out in full force. Today I walked into Eddie Bauer just to check to see if they had long jeans. I don't think I was in that store for more than five minutes when I was approached by about six salespeople.

The first lady was innocent enough, she simply greeted me. Next was the guy trying to make himself busy folding shirts, he greets me and ask if I was finding everything I was looking for. I had only been there a minute so I really hadn't had a chance to look. I said yes and continued looking.

Then it seemed that I was the only customer in the store because every other person in the store came up to me in machine gun formation saying hello in a cult-like way and asking "have you found everything you're looking for?" At one point I was still in the middle of telling one lady that I was fine when another women seemingly interrupted my sentence to ask the question of the day, "have you found everything you're looking for?"

Enough! My peaceful shopping experience was destroyed. Too much. I felt like I was in one of those tourist trap swap meets or street markets where all the vendors are overly aggressive and calling to you that it's free to look.

Let's get this economy back on track so I can go on to being ignored in the stores like the good ole days.