Back before online shopping was a thing, I relished the excitement and the energy of the crowds during last minute holiday shopping.
Though the stress of last-minute shopping can be high, our bodies are programmed to reward us for this task. Whether we’re choosing a gift for someone we love or gathering the ingredients for a special meal, we get an endorphin boost when we do kind things for others.
While I am not a fan of heavy traffic, crowded stores, or overflowing parking lots, they’re the price that must be paid for the thrill of the hunt. But the advent of online shopping, same day delivery, and one-hour pick-up have emptied the aisles of many stores during once-peak shopping days.
This past weekend, though, was a different story altogether. The proximity of the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day brought out the masses looking for treats to eat, things to drink, romantic gifts to give, or team apparel to wear. Stores were buzzing and carts were filling. It was a long way from the days when COVID concerns limited the number of patrons in a store.
I know not everyone loves shopping, but being out among other shoppers can be invigorating and oddly bonding. And as isolated as many of us are today through the magic of the internet, which was designed to bring us all together, it can be refreshing to find yourself surrounded by people sharing your mission – which might just be marking that last item off the shopping list and being free to return to the safety and comfort of your own little corner of the world blissfully alone.
I’m Suzanne Degges-White and that’s my perspective.
