Shopping can be the perfect therapy

I did something fairly radical recently. I went shopping. Alone!

Ward Village's South Shore Marketplace
Ward Village’s South Shore Marketplace

It started out as most of my store trips do: Errand-oriented. In and out. On to the next chore to tackle.

Wine glasses. Seems like a simple thing, but the minute I walked into the store, I got sidetracked by… everything. Before I knew it, I had the cart filled up, and I had forgotten what I was there for.

On a different shopping trip, with Claus
On a different shopping trip, with Claus at South Shore Marketplace

There are many, many things one encounters on the way to the kitchen area. I visited them all, realizing with joy that I could savor the unhurried feeling of browsing.

I’m not a retail person. My idea of relaxing is walking on the beach or watching Netflix on my sofa. That’s what I hurry to make time for. But gosh, was I happy to be alone in that store.

My husband would have been nagging me to leave, or quizzing me if I REALLY needed this item- and after all these years, his superpower is the ability to do that by his mere presence.

My daughter would have been bugging me to buy her something, chattering incessantly, or complaining of hunger or thirst. Having her along can be lovely, and I’d rather shop with Olivia than Claus. However, some alone time is nice.

So what was I here for? Think. Think.

Oh yeah. Wine glasses. My husband is a wine snob, and over the years (particularly in the last nine- not a coincidence it coincides with the number of years our child’s been alive) we’ve broken all his fancy Riedels. I called him to give him a few choices.

“No,” he said. “I’ll go buy it myself.” He doesn’t trust my unsophistication, apparently.

“OK, I’ll just keep shopping then,” I replied cheerfully. I had nowhere pressing to be.

This was extremely exciting. (My goodness, my bar is low.)

“OK,” he said back, trying to sound nonchalant, but probably hiding a little anxiety over how much credit card damage I would do when left unchecked. He was not wrong.

One hour and some triple digits later, I left the store. I had no wine glasses, but I did have some house accessories and a lot of things for Olivia – and a very happy demeanor. That was so much fun!

So, money can buy happiness. At least for one of the spouses.

Diane Ako

Peace of mind By Diane Ako I like to reflect on life. Sometimes it’s philosophically. Sometimes it’s humorously. For all its beauty, life is far too difficult a journey to take alone. You need the support and connection with others to help carry you along the way. Writing brings me that connection– within and without. It clarifies my thoughts and feelings. It helps me reach out to others for advice, wisdom, or feedback. Your thoughts become your actions. Your actions become you. A wise yogi- Patanjali- said, “Speak what is true. Speak what is pleasant.” Let’s speak of things pleasant to one another and seek some peace of mind along the way. ABOUT Diane Ako joined Hawaii: In Real Life in October 2016. She likes being part of a community of local bloggers – people who like writing and sharing, like she does. Ako is an anchor/ reporter at Island News (KITV4 – ABC) in Honolulu. She previously anchored and reported at KHON2 (FOX) and KHNL (NBC), and at stations in California, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. She freelance writes for NMG Network's magazines. In between news jobs, in 2017, she launched and ran her own p.r. company, Diane Ako PR. From 2010-2014, she headed the public relations department at Halekulani Corporation, which oversees luxury resort Halekulani and boutique hotel Waikiki Parc. She’s been blogging since 2009 – before Hawaii: IRL, she wrote for The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the state’s largest daily newspaper, where her stories garnered a dozen journalism awards and an Emmy nomination. Ako has a BA in Communications from Menlo College and an MA in Political Science from University of Hawaii at Manoa. She volunteers as a board member of the Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation, a Shinto shrine maiden at Daijingyu Temple, a citizen-scientist studying shrimp, and a yoga teacher at a senior center.

Diane Ako has 274 posts and counting. See all posts by Diane Ako

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