Happy Buy Nothing Day!

Sadly, today was not Buy Nothing Day for me.

I needed a winter coat. And when I say "needed", I mean the pockets on my last one looked like they'd been attacked by a pack of savage wolves. So it was off to the mall for me.

Here's a confession: I hate shopping.

I hate mall girls and their mall boyfriends. I hate mall moms and their mall children. I hate watching people buy loads of plastic shit for people who already have too much plastic shit. I hate seeing the bloodthirsty look on middle-aged women's faces as they pluck $5 on-sale DVD's from the shelf. This is not spiritual.

If you're gonna be a spiritual Christian, I'd recommend spending your Christmas season abstaining from materialism. Nobody ever saw Jesus at a Target.

(Ahem.)

My mom likes to shop. She hovers toward make-up counters and inquires about "free gifts". It makes me cranky and headachey and depressed. Cranky because I have to walk all over and feel bored. Headachey because it's total sensory over-stimulation. Depressed because I too often feel drawn to the crap around me. And because 28th Street is all chain stores, zero personality.

Thankfully, the coat was the only mall thing we needed. There was a fair amount of furniture shopping (re: mom's apartment) but I sat in the car and worked on Hindi homework.

I have so much Hindi homework. Sigh.

Tonight I went to Kristin's and then to the coffee house and saw some people, which made me feel better. I can feel so disconnected in this town, but I will never feel uncomfortable in my coffee house. Good thing I should be picking up some hours over winter break.

Tomorrow morning I'll be going back to Chi. I've been gone all of 30 hours and still going back seems relieving. I am so easily affected by my environment. So the opposite of zen. I should work on that.

Oh, and I just realized today that my birthday falls on a Friday this year. What a waste. (On the upside, that means I'll be turning twenty-one on a Saturday!) Regardless, I'm thinking of possibly spending it in Chicago before coming back for break. It just seems like a better place to celebrate. Even if it's just me and the Thing in the cupboard.

Maybe someone will be around. T. might be. Eh. I'm on the fence.

I still have a headache. And gobs of Hindi homework.

Mmn. Hastings.