Category: Personal Blog

I don’t know about you but I kind of get the blues when the weather begins to get warm.I’m a wacko but there’s real reason behind it.
When the weather is warm you can’t wear a coat.When you can’t just throw a coat on over your clothes everyone outside can see what you’re wearing.If everyone can see what you’re wearing maybe you should make an effort.If you have to make an effort you’ve got to spend money to do so.If you have to spend money don’t you have to have money.See? The blues.
Therein lies the dilemma.

In an earlier post I described at length my desire to begin dressing more feminine and wear less black this spring/summer season. So far I have done alright as it is still slightly cool and I’ve been able to lean on the coat crutch. But my days are numbered and my trips to Forever 21 have sent me home with the usual one black item to keep and one color item to return. Despite my attempts to break away from black it seems I veer back to the black rut of comfort,time and again. My closet looks funereal.
I may have to just accept this about myself.It’s that or an endless loop of shop &return, shop&return.
I have been known to spend a woozy 4 hours in Macy’s,trolling the sale racks and getting some super deals: a pair of pants for 11.99.AT-shirt for 9.99. A RL blouse for 20.00 and etc.But that was all luck I seemed to have in the larger 34th street branch;the Brooklyn branch being so much smaller has less to choose from.
When I was richer and I got the blues I’d buy shoes. Typical. Then I became poor because I no longer wished to work for anyone and my retail events were cut down to the Salvation Army. That tended to have an exacerbating effect on depression so I turned to Chinatown for relief. In NYC, our Chinatown is the home of Pearl River which is basically a chinese version of a bazaar where you can pick up a brightly coloured rice paper lantern for 5 bucks and be happy.
If I need a bigger buzz I head to Strand Books and dive into their bargain books section.In Fiction you can do well,there a famous, widely reviewed, multiple printing copy of a novel can be had for about 5 to 7 dollars. Not bad.
Lately,I’ve had to make due with what can be turned up on Myrtle ave here in Brooklyn.I really don’t have any $ at the moment and so going to the city is doubly pointless,for shopping, that is.
We have a store called Home Mart and it isn’t actually that dismal.I’ve been able to cheer myself up with a new cloth shower curtain from France for 6.00. That’s less than those horrible plastic ones from Bed Bath and Beyond…Or some blue and white china mugs by Oenida for 2.99 a pair. Or new feather pillow for 6.00.
You might say I’m making myself poorer with all these little purchases which can add up.But even if you are right I was explaining my method of retail therapy for the poor, not the judicious. I don’t think the judicious need to shop at all.They’re all so smug rolling on top of their pile of money.