unspeakablehorror | Omnipresent Advertising (Reply)

Never realized before I stopped going in stores how much they are the ultimate advertising tool. Like you see an obnoxious ad online for something you'll never use and if anything, it just makes you want to buy anything less. You see items in a store that you go, presumably because you need or want some of the items in it, and the items are their own advertising. Maybe they've got attractively designed packaging, or a beautiful display case. Maybe you can try some of them out before buying them. Maybe they've got samples, the smell of food being sold wafting across the store. They've probably got some music going. It's advertising that engages all the senses in ways that online ads can only dream of. And it used to get me to buy a bunch of stuff I'd never use or that didn't live up to my expectations.

I just never realized how negatively that was impacting my life before. I thought going to the store, to the mall, to the theatres made me happy. And they did also do that, sometimes. But I never realized how much they made me feel like I never had enough and always needed more. Even when the more caused more problems than it solved, even when it brought me more disappointment than joy.

I enjoy the park a lot more than those trips. The trees aren't trying to sell me anything.