Patience

 I do not often go to Walmart, the evil empire, but was there yesterday. The fourth of July celebratory merchandise was being taken down. It was being replaced with backpacks ! That's right, the back to school merchandise is making it's appearance. School hasn't even been out for a month yet ! OMG, I can't believe it. You gotta love retail. The swimming attire was being placed on clearance. The fall fashion line will be rolled out any day now. 

 I got the items I went there for and quickly exited the building. I do not like large stores or shopping malls. Walmart seems to attract the " crazies " out there, that star shape symbol being a beacon for those folks. These folks roam the aisles of Walmart and create havoc. They throw the merchandise around and speak loudly. They often carry out personal feuds in those same aisles. Shopping malls are much worse, in my opinion. In those malls are groups of predatory people. There intent is to " shop " and by shopping I mean pillage. It is the only way I can describe their behavior. Sure, the majority of them pay or charge their purchases but it is more like the village is being pillaged than anything else. It is an urban jungle and a place I am uncomfortable in. The danger comes from all sides. 

 Perhaps it is because I was born in the nineteen fifties. Perhaps it is because I grew up in a small town. Perhaps it is just that I do not like crowds. The truth is I prefer a more intimate approach to shopping. I like to know the person I am buying from. I like personal attention from someone I know and trust. That was the shopping experience I enjoyed growing up. The only ones we had to be wary of then was the " used car " salesman. Everyone knew about them and their ways and so went into negotiations prepared. How this all turned into a shopping frenzy is a bit of a mystery to me. The personal relationship between consumer and merchant is becoming a distant memory. The stuff legends are made of.

 I have begun to order more items off the internet. I get to avoid those large stores and malls. Everything is available as long as I am willing to wait for shipping. You know, it doesn't bother me a bit. I remember the days of ordering from the Sears and Roebuck catalog. That Was shopping at it's most convenient in years past. The Christmas " wish book " was thumbed through and marked up for months before the orders were placed. It was the only shopping mall I knew. That, of course, pales in comparison to the goods available on the internet. New, used, damaged, discontinued and some even free, all manner of goods. 

 There is talk that the internet may spell the end of the large shopping malls. The economic feasibility of maintaining those structures is in jeopardy. They are dangerous places as well. Security is fast becoming an issue that has to be taken into consideration. There are threats every day. Is it worth the risk ? I can just order my merchandise and have it delivered to my door. In fact, I rather enjoy the anticipation of the item arriving. It can cause some anxiety when things don't arrive when you expect them. On the other hand it teaches patience. That is something we all could use more of. It is something that is being lost in this modern world. Perhaps we are expecting too much, too soon. Perhaps that is what is causing a great deal of the unrest we are experiencing in the country right now. Patience stems from understanding. Could be we need to understand a simple statement, all things in time. There is even a passage in the Bible concerning just that. Ecclesiastes 3:! says, " For all things there is a season, and every will under the sun has it's time. " and you can't argue with that logic. Patience people, patience and understanding. It is what the world needs now. We got " love " maybe a little too much of. That is another blog altogether though. Be patient, all things in time.