Shopping At Chair Level

Shopping At Chair Level

 

Blurry from shopping in the chair!
Blurry from shopping in the chair!

 

The holiday season means it is time to hunker down into my wheelchair and face the Christmas hustle & bustle at crotch-eye level.

 

Yes, Christmas shopping is all the more merrier from the seated position.  (Now I know why Santa is always sitting down!)

 

Well, with my list in-hand, let’s roll to the mall and purchase our “gifts of joy”……because nothing says “you are special to me” MORE than a shiatsu massaging cushion from Bed, Bath & Beyond.

 

Open the door!
Open the door!

Come on in. 

My Odd Sock’s first hurdle is just getting into the damn store!

This entrance at Sears is clearly marked “handicap accessible,” yet, there is no button to open the door.  Forget the wheelchair, I quickly realize my “handicap” is trying to get into the place!

Usually, another courteous shopper will be nearby to help hold the door for you…..but this is Sears.  I’ve seen ghost towns with more traffic!

 

Seasonal spirit  

 I’ve noticed store clerks & other shoppers are extremely helpful when you are in a wheelchair.  They go out of their way to assist you.  I figure, they feel bad because this guy has wheels for feet.  That’s why I am always “over-the-top” positive when in my chair as I try to dispel the “woe is me” wheelchair image.

 

IMG_0088The Squeeze is on

Shopping in a wheelchair can be tough battling crowds,, parking, ect—but the real challenge is in the aisles.

The squeeze is on as you try to fit between the displays for house slippers, Shake Weights & glittery turtlenecks.

 

IMG_0089Here is a picture of an aisle that would be a tight fit even for a anorexic fashion model- let alone a wheelchair!

Going thru this aisle gave me greater appreciation of a woman giving birth.

I swear when finally making my exit, I heard a “pop!” sound.

 

Biggens

Finally,  from a  seated position, you tend to get an in-your-face view of big backsides.

Gluteus Maximus in 3-D.

I’ve seen butt cracks that make the San Andreas fault seem like a fine line. 

Hip Huggers scream “uncle” in mercy.

IMG_0091

 

I saw a Levi’s tag I gotta believe was triple digits!

This butt was so big, if denim was an animal–the species would be extinct.

 

And from my box seat, it is not only “seeing is believing”…no, you see, I get to enjoy the “sounds & smells” of the season as well, if you will.

Let me put it this way, no one claims to eat the holiday fruitcake, but someone is—and I am caught in the cloudy, odoriferous haze that follows.

 

Through crowds, long lines, charge cards & gift receipts…wheelchairs or not, we muddle through to finish our holiday shopping with moments to spare.  Just enough time to catch our breath before we gather with family & friends—AND gear-up for our December 26th visit to the stores to return our house slippers, Shake Weights & glittery turtlenecks, right?

May you have a tremendous Christmas holiday!

sock

 

 

2 Replies to “Shopping At Chair Level”

  1. You always hit the nail on the head! The difference for me is that I use an electric scooter rather than a standard wheelchair. I just can’t manage the snow in the parking lot with my wheelchair. My only problem is coming out of stores in the mall. People walk right in front of me and I have a hard time stopping. When I was younger and more brash I had a horn which was powered by a can of freon which you used to be able to purchase at auto parts stores. Freon is now considered to be a hazardous material so since I can no longer get it many people’s ear drums have been saved. Really though I do like to be out in all the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping. Merry Christmas! and a Joyous New Year to you and yours.

  2. I’ve never used a wheelchair, but I am fond of punching those automatic door-opener buttons with my cane tip instead of having to switch the cane to the other hand and then tug on the door–which resists at first before it suddenly gives way and clocks me in the jaw!