Shopping madness

So yesterday I was at Walmart. Not out of choice. It was necessity. We were out of toilet paper, paper towels, coffee, toiletries and I had held off the trip long enough.

So to Walmart we went. And like always, the trip completly depressed me. I returned with everything that I needed. And a fewthings that I did not- Irritability, a mall glazed look in my eyes, and an overload of consumerism.

And it all came from being in a place that has too much of everything. Stuff, stuff, and more stuff.

And it got me thinking this- when did we start needing so much stuff? And, really, do we need so much stuff?

Toiletries, for example. I counted at least 23 different kinds of bodywashes. And I hadn;t counted all. Bodywashes to suit every skin type, age, mood. To accomodate preferences of texture , smell, color. And not just to wash your body with. But to make your skin as soft as silk. And to exilarate. Exfoliate. Invigorate. Rejuvenate.

And Shampoo? Oh, the shampoo! For fine hair.
For oily hair. For dry hair. For fine hair that is oily. For fine hair that is dry. For fine hair that is partly oily and partly not.
For volume. For shine. For strengthening.
For strengthening and shine, but not volume. In case you already have volumnous hair.
For volume and strengthening, but not shine. In case you already have shiny hair.
For straight hair. Curly hair. Short hair, long hair.

For no hair , in order to grow hair. WOW!

Whatever happened to shampoo that simply cleaned the hair. And smelt nice. Period.

The onslaught of shampoo got to me and I hurried out of there. Coffee was next on the list and I figured that would be easy enough. Would have been, if I had only read the encyclopedia of coffees the day before. Medium roast, strong roast, light roast. Morning breakfast, french vanilla, hazelnut. Columbian, Jamaican, Starbucks (and that's not even a country.)
Oh my goodness, my mind screamed, all I want is a good cup of coffee to start my day. Can someone just label a package- a good cup of coffee to start your day. Honestly, that's all I want. A good cuppa coffee. And I am not shopper savvy enought to know whether that comes from Columbia or Starbucks or if it should be a medium roast or a strong roast.

I was done.

And so when my four year old asked to go to the toy section, I needed a minute to brace myself. For what I knew now would be a jungle. And a jungle it was. A mind numbing jungle of shelf after shelf of toys. Toys that children apparently need. Toys that parents apprently need to buy for their kids. To strengthen their eye hand coordination. To hone their motor skills. To develop their listening skills. Improve memory. Encourage imagination. Improve communication. Aid learning. Cultivate social skills.

Robots, transformers, cars, lego, magnetic logo, puzzles, blocks, magnetic blocks, rockets, guns, Spiderman, Superman, the Hulk, disney toys, Barbies, Kens, Barbies with Kens, dolls competing with Barbies, laptops, video games, hand held video games, travel toys, house toys, park toys, beach toys, toys for babies, toys for toddlers, toys for preschoolers, toys for big kids, toys for teenagers,...........

We came away with nothing.

Oh no, that's not right . We did come away with a seriously overwhelmed, overstimulated 4 year old.

Who, right now, as I write this, sits next to me , happily playing with two jars of play dough, that I picked up at the dollar store, and a wooden rolling pin from the kitchen.

And we did come away with a completely distraught, confused parent. Who is wishing that the toilet paper lasts and lasts and lasts . So the next trip does not come any time soon.