So far the mall traffic has been slow and steady, gearing up for the Black Friday experience – six hours on Thanksgiving night and 16 hours on Friday, November 23 – and, yes, we will be there too!
I’ve discovered that a mall truly is a microcosm, reflecting all aspects of our larger world. Although, following our personal mall experience, I may never step foot in one again, the “people watching” has been extraordinary! For example…
- Every day thus far I have seen at least one set of twins and numerous pregnant women! I couldn’t even begin to count the number of strollers that cruise by the kiosk – strollers for humans and canines alike!
- There is an awful lot of hand-holding going on in the world – parent/child, siblings, partners, couples – you name the combination, we’ve seen it in the mall and you know what – in this day and age, that’s a wonderful thing!
- Tweens and teens will always have a silly (and often annoying) side – especially when let loose in the mall!
- Just when you think you’ve seen all possible fashion trends…along comes another! In addition to “Cowboy Eating Cotton Candy,” trending in Naples this holiday season are the bare midriff, the cold shoulder, off the shoulder, and of course, the comfortable shopping shoe – really??
- Santa puts in some very long hours at the mall…but not as long as us!
- There are never enough restrooms in a mall. During this somewhat slower time, my goal is to find – and test – all of them!
- The most popular shopping bags that pass us at our “pop-up” are the ever popular pink Victoria Secret bags and those from Bath and Body Works. A close third is Sephora cosmetics and skin care from Penny’s.
- And does anyone do anything without a phone in their hand? I think not!
If this past weekend was any indication, business should continue to pick up and then explode by the end of the week. I’ll keep watching out for all those characters that make a mall the reflection of our world – especially during the holidays!
Stay Calm and Travel On…
thervdreamlife 