Shopping Euphoria and Therapy Shoes

There’s a reason they call it “retail therapy.”

Seriously. I don’t think I’ve ever really appreciated the term as much as I did on Saturday when Bakers on State Street and their Grand Re-Opening calmed my nerves, one pair of heels at a time.

Life has been insanely busy lately. Not bad, just that kind of non-stop, soul draining clipping pace that leaves you without a moment to yourself and even your dreams are filled with projects at work, things you didn’t get to do at home, and sudden panics that you somehow missed giant event like a birthday or baptism. (True story. Freaked out about both, though neither one was missed).

So after waking up at dawn on Saturday, and running around to various places, I took a detour between errands to drive downtown, spend $5at a meter (damn downtown parking), and hoofed it over to Bakers Shoes, praying that it was worth my time to go over there.

Maybe it was the humidity, the walk, the throngs of children and tourists, or the stress, but when I walked into that store I was supremely annoyed and suddenly felt like I was on a mission. And my mission was to buy shoes.

Just a few of the shoes that were piled in front of me.

Instead of logically thinking about what I need, what I have, etc. I started grabbing things I like. Snakeskin pumps with a six inch stiletto, polka dots, anything that sparkled, nothing that made any sense or filled any voids in my closet, and nothing normal people can even walk in. I dumped the armload of shoes on the first sales girl who talked to me, and started trying stuff on.

Pretty soon the menagerie of insane shoes I had at my feet was attracting the notice of all the sales people. I was given other shoe options, grand re-opening discounts, and brought purses they thought I would like. I’m sure they saw money, but also a crazed woman in platform boots and a t-shirt with all their out-there styles, not turning anything down as being too over-the-top.

I’m a dream to shop with.

By the time I walked out I had three pairs of shoes, and I’m still not sure any of them can be worn anywhere I go on a regular basis. And maybe it was the new shoes, or being able to channel my pent up energy towards something, maybe it was the fact that I finally felt like I had done something for myself or my brain shutting down so I didn’t think about the fact that I spent my grocery money on shoes; but as I walked back towards my car I suddenly felt more serene than I had been in days, and it made me love my shoes all over again.