Mall Babies

I’m not a very good shopper. I’m a good buyer but shopping doesn’t hold my interest too long. So imagine my surprise when this last weekend I realized this trait was hereditary. I went shopping with my sons. Shopping with two teenage boys (boys being the key word) for their mom and friends is really more about making closure than the right choices. “This looks good, let’s get this” is the most common expression of the day. Eventually we were compelled to call some of the recipients to confirm that the selected gift was something they would even remotely want and not feel obliged to “re-gift”. We shopped for 8 people in 32 minutes over 4 different stores.

So here we are: Welcome to the wonder of this year’s holiday shopping experience. The interesting thing about the holidays is that it’s not the same pattern every year. Even shopping on-line changes from season to season. The products change and the prices are all over the place and what’s hot this year is way different from last year. Still some things remain the same: The parking and the lines and the crowds tend to be familiar. As expected, there were plenty of people and cars in the lot, and discount sales and lines and tired looks on peoples’ faces. There also were many, many babies – Babies in strollers and back packs and in the arms of parents that shifted the baby from arm to arm trying to keep circulation going – been there.

It appeared that strollers seem to be the way to go. Not having had to open and fold a stroller in some time, it seemed that the designs were pretty advanced. We noticed that some strollers also serve as a package carrier and in some cases a battering ram. People were guiding their stroller trying to keep a tight line similar to the experience on the freeway when drivers will not let you get in line when all you’re trying to do is cut thru to make an exit. It was kind of like a baby train, especially the line for the elevator. We also saw people pushing strollers without children; they may as well have had a shopping cart.

Those that were pushing the stroller with real a real baby in the seat seemed a bit disconnected from the child. You look at the parent and see this vacuous stare accompanied with zombie like motions. Conversely, and what mom or dad could not see from their vantage point, was the utter joy and wonder in the baby’s eyes. Looking out and seeing so much stuff and people and other babies flying around them gave them a glow and wide-eyed “E” ticket experience that made the jaunt to the mall well worth the trip for me and the boys.

We spotted babies in bliss in all types of mall approved vehicles. There were fire trucks and race cars and other rented configurations for the parent as they wedged up against other baby strollers that were jockeying for position. When it’s a rental, I guess you don’t mind the dents. And although there was some stress with strollers maxed out with packages that almost buried the baby and looked more like a skid row residence, the kids seemed okay. With all of the commotion and music and people and noise, I don’t recall hearing one crying baby. The exception being my sons that wanted to get out fast.

For me, I love making eye contact with kids of all ages. They seem to be able to connect with just a look and when they follow your stare as you pass it’s hard not to smile or mutter a hello in some kind of “baby-speak”. So here’s to another holiday where all of the babies come out, and making eye contact with that one special baby, whatever their age might be, is just the gift that you always wanted.