16 ...

The Location: Hawthorn Mall
The Date: Christmas Eve, 1997
The Players: Everyone I knew and loved

Mom dropped Gill and I off, 15 and 14 respectively, at the mall around ten that morning.  At that point in my life I was a last minute shopper, you can judge for yourself if I still fall in that category {the Do-You-Really-Know-Kasi-Well-Enough-To-Know-Her-insert behavior here- Test of the post}.  I had a list, clearly I started young with that habit, and knew where exactly I needed to go.  Adding to the list of why some of you lovingly refer to me as Marsha, I inherited the loathing for meandering aimlessly shopping for something you have yet to identify.  And yes, this proves a bad combination with the lack of preparation on my part and the need to use the second busiest shopping day of the year.

We were off, Gill at my side laughing at my determination to be done in an hour and half.  As we exited the first store we ran into Brandon, shopping with Dave.  We laughed for a few minutes, wished one another a Happy Christmas {we'd see them both later that night with Caroling and such most likely} and moved on.  With a few more bags in hand we ran into Brit and a cheer friend, we shared our purchases and hugged and said we would talk later.  On to more gift purchases.  But before we could make it inside of the bookstore we ran into the Rule parents and as most of you know, they are yappers {yappers whom I adore with my whole heart but yappers nonetheless}.  After a few minutes lost to them I grabbed Gill and we were entering the bookstore.  I might have sighed a heavy irritated sigh as I saw Rob and Steve, neither of whom deserved said sigh, wandering with blank stares on their faces.  Gill wanted to say hello, so welcome distraction number ... I have lost count. 

I won't go on, you get the point.  Everyone that I knew was at the mall that day and as I got into the car three and a half hours later, after using the pay phone twice to tell Mom not to come quite yet as we were not done because of these 'distractions', I complained about seeing everyone.

I did not know how much I would love that memory, I wish I had.

To Chicago Christmas Eve Shoppers:  Can we all meet in the mall on Christmas? I'll squeal with excitement as I see your faces rather than roll my eyes.  I'll oooo and ahhh over your children and laugh as they go running to the pyramid fountain and my once agile friend, now stricken with pre-mature gray hair, goes running after his second born.  Can I spend a few minutes {though I would prefer hours} talking with the Rules, running into a Labrum or two, spotting those tall Branhams from halfway across the food court, make a tally of the Worthens and run out of the brain capacity to keep it accurate, see a Gnadt people watching as calm as a cucumber as the rest of the world goes on in its chaotic way, giggle as I see the Schupples singing their way from store to store?  Let's make a plan to do that ... Christmas Eve? 

Merry Christmas Last Minute Shoppers!!