November 19, 2007

Yesterday, I went shopping. Where I live is in a wonderful place. I can buy what I need and most of what I want, but it’s hard to spend many hours shopping, unless you’re like my sister, who can spend three hours in one store. When she comes to visit, I just drop her off and tell her to call me when she’ done. I am one of those sweeps in and out shoppers. I can do a whole shopping area in half a day. I love shopping so much that my friends say my idea of economic development is to take my friends shopping.
Being the tourism director for rural southwest Alabama requires that I have a full inventory of assets in the area. Shopping opportunities are among our attractions. People love the out of the way shops that they find in our area. We have some great gift, antique, and clothing places as well as some bargain places that are better than the famous Unclaimed Baggage place in Scottsboro that is frequently in national magazines and on television. I have found so many great things there that even the famous discount chains in the city seem overpriced now. Of course, it is like a treasure hunt. Nothing is beautifully displayed, but it’s unbelievably cheap. In fact, the chain is called Dirt Cheap. When I go out of town to a meeting, I try to wear one of my finds, just to prove to people what is there. We call it DC so we don’t sound so cheap. In fact, the merchandise is so good that when we say DC many people think we got it on the Beltway around the nation’s capital. You never know what you might find. You have to go in with no preconceived notions. If you are open minded, you can do wonders. However, every day is not a good day. In fact, we say that if you have luck in Jackson, Ala. On a certain day, you won’t in Thomasville at their sister store. However, if you don’t, you might as well travel to Thomasville, because there is something there for you more than likely. I try to limit my forays to bi-weekly, if possible. You can end up with a lot of stuff. How many Egyptian cotton duvets cover or down comforter’s doe’s one house need? As for clothes, my rule is – if it costs less than a hamburger and fries, go for it. We have disposable clothes now. When we tire of them, we just pass them on to charity.
My shopping yesterday, however, was in the city. I had a meeting in Montgomery. My home town is 100 miles from anywhere. In fact, that’s part of the city’s slogan. It requires planning for when you are going to town. You have to decide what your shopping priorities are in advance. Sometimes, it could be just looking for nothing in particular. Otherwise, you have to map out a strategy for getting everything done. Yesterday, mine was to get two new pair of pants with comfortable waists – one brown and one black. You can’t be that specific at DC, you just have to fish (DC fishing, get it?). I went to one of three discount chains I frequent where I can get those things I can’t find locally.
I have reached the age where my feet speak to me. They let me know when I have been too proud for comfort. I saw a beautiful young girl in the city with what I swear were 4 inch heels. She had to be fewer than 30 because after that, her feet would have rebelled mightily. I am well past 30 and my feet yell when I mistreat them. I like shoes that don’t look like granny comforts, but feel like them. I find these, hit or miss, at the discount stores with designer or high end brands. I found a great pair of brown loafers yesterday that look good and feel better. I can’t usually do that at DC or anywhere locally.
I had a wonderful time shopping into the night. I got out of the meeting and hit the stores. Santa Claus came yesterday. I am not an on-line shopper. I like to touch whatever I buy and see it up close. I know of all the things available on EBay. In fact, there is a local antique dealer who has a business on EBay that she says sells 5 times what she did in her shop. I don’t want any part of it. I’d rather go to one of our small town antique stores and poke around. I like to think I’ve discovered a hidden treasure. Some of the shops are pretty hidden, too.
There is Tucker’s Treasures at the end of a county road between Nanafalia and Myrtlewood. They have 3 warehouses full of antiques, plus another small building of glassware. There are two shops in Thomaston. One is open Thursday through Saturday. The people who have these shops clean out old houses and estates. Then there’s the shop in Thomasville that has several partners. The town of Marion has several shops. It’s fun to get around the region and antique. Add that to our quality art galleries, and there are things to see and do. I don’t have to go to town for anything but fancy food and clothes. When I do it’s an adventure just like it would be for you to come visit us in rural southwest Alabama.