The women on my mother’s side of the family have always loved shopping. Shopping was one of my grandmother’s favorites things to do. When I was in my early 20’s caught a bit of the shopping bug too. Back then I wasn’t aware that I had ADD and that my shopping sprees were actually a way for me to self-medicate. I bought a lot of stupid things because they were on sale. Stupid little shopping sprees and forgetting to pay my credit cards on time weren’t a good combination at the time either.
A decade or so later I have a much better understanding of my own ADD and in fact really don’t like shopping very much. I actually only go shopping now when I need or really want something. I don’t do it anymore to relieve boredom and stimulate my brain. I just don’t find it fun anymore and most of the time I get over stimulated and leave even the smallest of stores exhausted.
Last week my mother called me and invited me to go shopping with her and my sister. She offered to buy both of us dresses for family a wedding later this month. So, even though I don’t like shopping I do like free dresses and seeing my family. So I accepted the invitation.
When I accepted the invitation I really didn’t think it through too much that the place where we were going shopping was just about a 2 hour drive for me. When I got the Outlets to meet my mother, sister, and 2 year old nephew I was already a bit spent from the ride.
We met for lunch (and I wont even go into that) then we went to a store that doesn’t even carry dresses!! My mother ended up buying me a pair of shoes so I shouldn’t really be complaining but my plan was to just buy a dress! When we finally got to the store that had the dresses I really surprised myself! I really liked the first dress that I tried on.
I was now done!! I had a dress and I couldn’t do anymore shopping. I couldn’t go walking around the maternity store with my mother and my sister (she’s 7 months pregnant). I couldn’t go to what ever other store it was my mother suggested but didn’t really hear. I decided that it was time for me to go home and that’s what I did! My mother and sister know that I don’t really do to well shopping for long periods of time so they weren’t too surprised when I left.
Between the crazy 4+ hours of driving I did, the lunch, and the shopping, I am exhuasted!!