Today I did lots of window shopping with a friend. Strolling trough three stores in two hours, we took our time, looking, examining, laughing, dreaming, and imagining. The stores and sidewalks were rather devoid of shoppers, other than my friend and me.
Yesterday four of us traveled up and down the highways of a popular resort area and the roads were sparsely traveled as were the stores and shopping centers we visited. Multiple times we commented to each other, wondering where all the people were that should have been crowding the roadways and shops. Instead of shopping where we had to step around others and inch our way through hordes of people, we had boutiques and restaurants to ourselves. Several restaurants we investigated had zero people in them. Zero......unbelievable for this time of year.
When my friend and I did more window shopping this morning than buying, I almost felt guilty and sorry for the proprietors. It is no wonder that many stores and restaurants that once were teeming with customers last year are now shuttered and have 'closed' signs in their front windows.
Sad, disturbing, eye-opening.....all at once. The economy is obviously still in trouble. Despite the best efforts of the Great Illusionist and his Minions, all the rhetoric in the world cannot jump-start our economy.
I wonder when 'things' will turn around?
Ancora imparo
