Tuesday, July 31, 2007

The Shopping Blues

Run you ever so far, shopping will always catch you. The truth of this statement cannot be appreciated more, by those caught in a state like mine.

After evading shopping for years, it has come back to me and it is back with a vengeance. Time for celebrating my success in civil services has ended. The only thing left with me now is ‘the list’. This dreaded list contains entire shopping universe in itself. I have to buy suitcases, I have to buy suits, I have to buy shirts, and I have to buy soaps and what not.

Shopping is an activity I am really scared of. Once upon a time I bought a suit. But that was once upon a time. Now I am made to listen to the shopkeeper that this one is Terri wool, that one is 40%wool, this one is Reid and Taylor and that one is Raymond’s. And after that I am asked to choose. The truth is, for me there is no difference, apart from their different names.

I can count on fingers the occasions when I wore a tie. Now I have to decide whether this tie goes with that shirt or that suit. Choosing between two colors becomes the biggest dilemma of my life. And how I can even guess if trousers with plates shall be better than trousers without plates?

I belong to that school of thought which completely understands the pain of the salesmen. If a person in a shop shows me some clothes, I feel that it is my sacred duty to reward his hard work by buying at least one. How can I get out of the shop empty handed?

The problem of shopping does not end here. I want to get the best deal but I cannot bargain. My morals do not allow me to ask the shopkeeper to lower his prices. If I do that and the shopkeeper refuses, it becomes a big insult. Thus most of the time, I pay the first price asked by the shopkeepers. Even after that I am not comfortable and live with the feeling that I was dumb.

If you are going to say that I should take help of others, I am smarter than that. Always, I mean always literally, I have taken someone with me to shop. But till today no one has been able to do that with perfection. If I ask which one looks better, I should be told confidently “AS, this looks better on you”. I won’t even blink an eye before buying it. The problem comes when I see confusion on other’s face.

So there was a simple solution that I adopted. Do not shop. I did that for years but happiness does not last long. Now I have to makeup for whatever shopping I have evaded for years.

God gave me a personality, and he gave me a face. As an obedient man, I respected his wishes. I lived in my dreamland, completely comfortable within myself. Then why should I be put in dilemma of choosing what looks good on me?

God, I need help!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

ya i can understand

Saagar said...

Ask the "born" shoppers, how they can manage it. I am sure you have atleast some in your circle. I am with you in claiming out right Shopping sucks, waste of time, energy and money.. but hey who is listening to us..

Unknown said...

hehehe.. just like you :)
I am really dumb in shopping .. learning though :) and u know how :D

Just Simple said...

I am happy that i am not alone in this world who hates shopping, thanks anonymous, Kartik and Rahul for echoing my sentiment :)

@Kartik: I really wonder how these born shoppers go for shopping just for passing time. Yes it really, really sucks. By the way, are you working in US?

@Rahul: I know how you are learning ;), though for me there is no chance to learn as I am a hopeless student

Saagar said...

Yep, I currently am..

A said...

hey did you receive that letter from Milkhe ram and sons, mussoorie?? I guess that guy has the solutions to the problems of all non-shoppers!