There were pages and pages of ads in the daily newspaper the week before Thanksgiving. They were advertising all of the things that would be on sale for Black Friday and beyond.
There were so many sales that there were sales on items that were already on sale. I don’t look at those ads. They went directly into the trash. The things that I buy never go on sale. The things that I buy are mostly generic or off-brand items.
And, when it comes to shopping for presents, I try to find unique, out-of-the-ordinary gifts. I look for Made In The USA or handcrafted items. Sweetheart and I have given the crafts he has made and the books I have written as gifts until that part of gift-giving has been saturated. That’s not the kind of stuff that goes on sale.
The fact is, at our age, there is not much Sweetheart and I want, need, or can use. I gather up things we don’t need and donate them to an organization that can make them available to people who want, need, or can use them.
We shop there, too, from time to time, just to see if there is something that catches our eye. Shopping at thrift stores is one of the highlights when we go on vacation.
When we made our trip to Pigeon Forge recently, we both forgot our bathing suits. We were almost certain that any hotel we booked would have a swimming pool, so how could both of us be so remiss?
Even though we had lots of activities to entertain us while we were there, we looked longingly at the pool every time we passed it on our way to our room.
Finally, on one of our trips to an entertainment venue, we stopped at a thrift store to look for bathing suits. We saw no need to go to a clothing store and pay full price for a suit we would only need once—especially when we had perfectly good ones at home.
After searching diligently, I came across a lovely black one-piece item in the swimsuit section that was very form-fitting. At least it fits my form perfectly. It was made of very sleek material and sported a tiny skirt. The straps were adjustable, which I thought was an added attraction. I decided to purchase it.
When I looked for Sweetheart, I discovered he had not been looking for swimsuits at all, but had spent the last 15 minutes in conversation with a stranger from South Carolina.
I asked him what he was going to do for a swimsuit and he said, “I’ll be all right.” That is always his response in such instances and I have come to realize that that means he will not be all right. So, as we headed to the checkout counter, we passed the men’s swimsuit section and I grabbed one that I thought would fit him.
That night, as we donned our new apparel, we had some revelations. First of all, even though my new suit had been located in the swimsuit section, it may not have been a swimsuit at all, but a foundation garment. I wore it to the pool and asked a female swimmer what she thought the garment was. She said she didn’t know, but it worked well as a bathing suit.
When it came to Sweetheart’s suit, I was happy to see that it fit. It fit so well that he could scarcely move. He definitely would not be able to swim in it. So, we spent our time in the warming pool, enjoying the swirl of the water jetting over us and visiting with two young boys who had joined us.
Even though I liked my new foundation garment, I kinda blame the clerk who put it in the wrong department for the dilemma I had been in.
Let that be a lesson to you this holiday shopping season. Beware of false advertising.
Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or make a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com
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