Sitting on a bench, watching people in the reflections of a closed store window, its papered up glass a perfect mirror, I am amazed at how the world passes before my view.
The irascible and inevitable group of friends out to have fun, be irreverent and flaunting the conventions of “go in, shop and get out,” often wearing non-conformist outerwear – kitten ears, sunglasses, top hats and scarves – anything to announce to their fellow shoppers “I am not you.”
The newly wed couples, laughing and joking about whether they parked the car at this exit or the next. The long married pairings, speaking in clipped couple-speak, only breaking their practiced monotone to warn members of their brood that they are straying from the prescribed orbit around which they endlessly swarm.
Granddads with their offspring’s offspring, looking lost and confused by the window after window of display, worn down by the energy of youth. Grandmas looking for the best deals, hoping to pass along the savvy wisdom to a new generation.
Young mothers, exhausted, pushing snoring toddlers in strollers, wishing without hope it would soon be their turn to rest. Young single women, in tight jeans and clicking boot heels, swiftly moving past them, their energy still intact.
Escalators populated by the many breeds of mall crawlers. Some languidly lounging upon evenly moving handrails. Others moving along the descending / ascending stairways at two and three steps at a time, only to be stopped short by the loungers. And still others who will not be deterred by these living obstacles and jostle past, despite their final step being moments away before they are deposited on the desired level.
Young girls, their too low jeans and too small shirts revealing hints of lace and tattoos unknown to parents, chittering and chattering with each other as they move swiftly along the tiled flooring between stores. Young boys, in backward caps and sloppily worn hoodies, strutting about with exaggerated strides, in the (vain) hope in attracting the attentions – if only for a moment – of the chattering girls.
Dignified looking middle aged, carrying purses – objects of mystery and wonder – in the crook of their arms. Intentionally disheveled younger middle aged women trying to recapture a youth much long gone for the Wet Seal look, disdaining the traditional purse for the more “hip” look of overstuffed wallet and cell phone combinations.
Multitudes of people from various walks of life, age groups and ethnic backgrounds trundling along, eyes cast into the palms of their hands as they text, surf, message, GPS or whatever passes for the latest technological marvel they just can’t be without. Others with distracted expressions and glassed over eyes, hands pressed to their blue-tooth compatible ears in order to hear conversations with some distant person, while blocking out the sounds and sights of where they actually are.
Groups of families, teams of friends and embarrassed solitary shoppers – returning, exchanging or otherwise trying to discard those holiday gifts presented to them by givers who “just doesn’t understand my tastes,” “doesn’t know my size,” “doesn’t know I already have three.” Gift card recipients turning over price tags and doing mental mathematical gymnastics in order to determine just what they can get without having to dig into their own miniscule monetary stores.
Stay at home folks, lunch time shoppers, retired tribe members, vacationing and/ or out of school / work / unemployment line people of all ages, descend on the mall, that last bastion of multiple choice consumer localities and fortress of mega shopping conveniences. Looking for deals, looking for next year’s gifts or ornaments, looking to save time or just plain looking. For some enjoyable, for others a loathed necessity. For the casual observer of human nature, a gold mine in people watching.
The American shopping mall experience – often hectic, time consuming and stressful – is a microcosm of American culture and human nature sampling. From the excessively made up divas to the nondescript Plain Janes, the jock, the nerd, the spendthrift, the splurger – all in attendance.
The author is a full time writer, his recent book Thing Out Loud – The Book can be found at Barnes and Noble’s Nook website. He does not, nor will he, be working for a mall or any store within a mall. (And thus derives no conflicting gifts, money or other goods or services from publication of this article.)