Worship at the Cathedral

So, I haven't been to a mall in a VERY LONG TIME. By very long time, I mean in Joy time, not necessarily in real person time. Like over a month. Probably not since Christmas.

I ducked into a local mall on the weekend because I needed to pick up my hair product at The Body Shop. I did duck into DSW for a minute, but for the most part I managed to avoid temptation.

Yesterday I went into the city to see an old friend. We met at THE MALL. That being, not just A MALL, but THE MALL. Hundreds of shops. Shops that we don't have near me. Shops full of all sorts of things I NEED to have. Seriously. How have I survived without that really cute top kind of need. Cute shoes need. Expensive kitchen appliances need. $20 cupcake mixes need.

And the place was packed. Full of people all carrying their many shopping bags, eating at the restaurants and generally worshipping consumerism.

In some ways it was fun. When I ducked in on the weekend I picked up a smoothie and thought about how going to the mall used to be fun. In the days before I had to go to the mall because shopping was the distraction in my life.

Yesterday at THE MALL I had a lot of fun because I was with my friend, but I was struck again with how easy it would be for me to go back to shopping every weekend or every evening. There's a lot of cute stuff out there and it's not buying itself.

It was quite a contrast to the weekend retreat with my small group when we talked about fair trade and the need to reduce how much we buy to what we need.

I managed to get out without too many purchases - 2 notebooks for work, 6 small bowls (to replace the ones Sir Mouse decided to defile with droppings), a travel knife and a business card holder (now that I actually have business cards). Perhaps there's some hope for my self-control yet, but I don't think it's a good idea to keep testing it.