Peopleing

Today my DH and I went to do some Christmas shopping in the second town south from us. After a stop at my second favorite mixed media shop (where he was very patient, and interested in the shop’s offerings), we ventured to the town’s core. There are numerous lovely, independently owned businesses to explore. Our first target was the book store, which publishes a nicely curated holiday catalog. We’d gone through the catalog a few days ago, finding gift ideas for friends and family. Once in the door, I was paralyzed. It was like being at the shopping mall, but in 600 square feet 😳.

It’s a small space, and there were FAR too many people, many of them unaware of their physical presence in the small space. Meaning, customers where unaware/didn’t care they were impeding the flow of traffic through the space, and the parents of two small children were unmindful that their kids were in danger of toppling displays. I tried to focus on what we were looking for and could not. We left.

We popped into five addition establishment. Let’s just say that except for picking up some wrapping papers, shopping was a bust. It was a flowing combo of the above, not finding what we were looking for, and the anxiety caused by our 110% disability to ‘people’ in a big way any longer. Thank goodness we’re already 50-60% done with our Christmas gift shopping, which is something I take great pleasure in doing. Venturing out on weekdays, and not on Thanksgiving weekend, should go a long way toward a calmer experience… Plus the internet 😏.

Late lunch at the local Mexican restaurant was incredible. And filling. We shared a slice of leftover pumpkin pie for dinner 😂.