esrosedotblog

I have always thought that going out with others on one day to shop is just another sign of mass insanity.

As it turns out, this year, the rest of the world may be catching on to my ideas.

Retail group: Black Friday weekend loses allure

I am not a lifetime agoraphobe. I am late onset.

Now, I don't shop at all except by mail. And the idea of going out while all the world is running around the stores is a nightmare.

It has not always been this way. I don't think that I was ever a Black Friday celebrant but I did enjoy going to the stores.

I used to go out and wander the length of Washington Street in Boston. In and out of Jordan Marsh, Filenes and all the other stores that were laid out along this grand promenade.

We lived about twenty minutes away for a quite a while and so it was easy. And then we moved. I think this is when it got to be less attractive. It was a little further to walk in to the place. A mile? There was the T and that was fun. But then it wore out.

I am not sure what happened. I know the street changed about the same time. In the old old days there was plenty going on besides retail. There were at least two newspapers along the row with hand made news bulletin boards outside. The original Radio Shack. Many many street vendors. Lots of theaters. Hordes of people. A carnival.

And one end anchored by the "combat zone", Boston's porn store neighborhood on one end and then a couple of blocks to the theater district. Legit theater. Everything you could want in a walk of about a mile.

Then slowly, it all deteriorated. People moved out of the city. Shopping malls grew in the suburbs. Taxes drove out the more interesting places to hang out.

And by the time we left Boston, it was a shade of its formal self.

I never got interested in malls. At all.

Now, we have a retail district and people go there but I lost the urge and it is not coming back.

The idea of going in for specials and fighting it out is just beyond my imagination of a good time.

But then wrestling has always been a spectator sport for me.

Labels: shopping