I did it! And it didn't even kill me. Actually, I sort of enjoyed it.
Let's see if I can reconstruct the process.
- Take a nap first
- Wear comfortable clothes with plenty of pockets
- Make a list
- Get the MP3 player, stick it in my ear
- Fill up a large travel mug with ice water to take along
- Go alone
- Drive the truck. The truck makes me happy.
- Stop at Sonic for a large chocolate malt
- Listen to peaceful classical music on the MP3
- Drive on over to Wal-Mart, but don't pay attention to what the parking lot looks like
- Park as close to a "cart corral" as possible
- Make sure the MP3 is loud enough to drown out the store noises, but not so loud as to hurt the ears
- Go about the shopping. Since the peaceful classical music is filling my head, I am able to think about what I need instead of getting distracted and upset by the hubbub around me.
And it really worked! My trick was to insulate myself with peaceful sounds. I also stayed away from the areas that upset me. Any aisle with visually garish displays or colors I just ignored. At one point I took refuge in the stationery/school supplies area. Those products make me happy. I stayed out of the "seasonal" aisle. It was the very definition of garish! Tall stacks of vivid green boxes full of sparkly crinkly plastic hovered like vultures on the shelves, waiting to pounce on me and rip away at my safety bubble. I didn't go there!
I listened to Handel's Messiah. The complete unabridged two-disk set, performed by the London Philharmonic. I started listening to it as I was writing my list, continued through the visit to Sonic and the consumption of the chocolate malt. The complete work was finished before I was finished shopping, so I started listening to Appalachian Waltz with Yo Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Mark O'Connor. Very nice music, I think.
I got a lot of groceries. I didn't intend to get that much since I was shopping by myself. Usually if I have that much stuff to get I take along a useful, helpful teenager. But tonight I just couldn't handle being with anyone else, having to carry on conversation and shop at the same time. I had a cart full to overflowing by the time I finished. I stopped by the entry to grab another empty cart on my way to the check-out. When I got up to the cashier I put the empty cart at the bagging station then started unloading the full one. That way there was a cart to put bags into since my full one wouldn't be available to hold bags before there were so many bagged items the cashier wouldn't be able to check out any more stuff. Two carts are easier after check-out, too. I've noticed it is really hard to fit the same amount of merchandise post-check-out into one cart as I had in the pre-check-out cart. That is if I'm buying lots of stuff.
Looking at the quantities, the cashier asked if I was planning a large holiday gathering. I said no, this is for my family. She wondered if I would be doing all the cooking, or if others would be bringing things. I said "No, this is all for my family- my household. Those who live there." She gawked. I live for moments like that.
Though I went alone, I had good help when I got home. Light and Twitch and S helped carry everything in. Light and Twitch put everything away. I took a shower. That was nice, too. I feel accomplished.
