Thank God for Age and Wisdom

During lunch last Friday, I decided to stop into an upscale boutique that I had never been to. I knew it was upscale, but thought - "So what, I'm just going to look, and surely there is something in there I could afford if I wanted to." Or not. The clothes were all miniature and the shirts seemed to start at $300 - except, of course, for the tiny $48 wife-beater tank tops. (Which I saw on sale for $4 at the Gap later that same day). When the designer label shoes are the cheapest thing in the store and spending $125 on summer sandals in October begins to look practical, there is a problem. The large glass containers of rolled up thongs around the cash register further proved that I did not belong in this store.

The salespeople were all very nice and did not treat me as though I couldn't afford their products - even if nothing came in my size, and I was wearing a 9 year old dress, a clearance cardigan from Gap Body, and mary-jane crocs. I realized that the other shoppers (which, surprisingly, there were real customers) and the employees were teenagers, early 20's tops. I stood there thinking, I would have to have a six-figure salary to honestly afford these things, but this girl just found something new to wear to the Innisfree tonight.

I found myself thinking, "I'm not a redneck. I've lived in cities and been blessed to work with rich and influential people. I've traveled internationally. I've shopped in big cities and felt no qualms about entering expensive stores in Georgetown or even being stuck for an extended time inside a New York Prada. But this store is just ridiculous."

I'm not sure why I was so shocked by it. Maybe because it's in a small town. Maybe because I know the people that actually have wealth and power usually don't feel driven to needlessly flaunt it through a $600 mini puffer vest (unless they are in the entertainment industry).

Once upon a time, going in that store would have given me a complex. I would have found a way to buy something just so they didn't think I was poor or unrefined or something like that. Last Friday, I just realized how foolish it all was, kept my head up, and walked out.