Saturday at the mall

I have decided not to talk about politics for the moment: not in this blog at least. Actually I can't. Italian politics in these days are like a bad B-movie in a bad cinema: what can I say about it?

So, I want to use this post to describe my recent experience in a mall in these pre-christmas days. Why did I go there? I'm still wondering... I don't remember what I was looking for, what I wanted to see. Mah! Nonetheless, I went there also because I go there quite rarely: I have also decided to go there on saturday with my wife. Probably it's impossible to do better...

Maybe, I'd need some weeks of psychanalitic analysis to describe such experience because for me it has been an experience placed at the limits of reality: at least my reality. In brief, all this has become a "terra incognita" because many things I have seen around me are completely meaningless.

The mall gave me the impression to be a "great stack": people, cars, trolleys, goods, noise, smell, light. All together. Anything seemed exasperated by the false happiness of the ususal commercial christmas.

A smell made of an explosive mix of fish, sweets, cakes, cheese, feet, rubber, plastic, capable to make a dog completely crazy. Mountains of chirstmas cakes, chocolate, wines, spirits. Other mountains of christmas decorations: lights, balls, christmas trees, and so on. Everything is on, everything is playing some electronic acute music, everything is trying to catch your attention.

Pile of hams, salami, any kind of cheese, meat: a river of excess and potential obesity...

In the middle of this chaos: the humanity of consumers. A long cue of giant trolleys to be filled as much as in possible, in the hands of a humanity excited by so much well-having. Down there, there is a long wall composed on thousand TV attracting male consumers. Right here, the toy section in these christmas days expanded beyond its usual limits to attract children and parents.

The book section is empty. Nobody wants to give and receive books for christmas. Every christmas people tell me: "Do not give me books for christmas! I've got no time to waste!". I see. Clearly.

So I keep on going up and down with some nonsense stuff in my hands, with my wife, yanked by people so busy in their shopping fewer. I smile to the many demonstrator women: it hurts to me to see these women just thinking about their job. I'd cry in public thinking about their enormous effort to be kind to a crowd of beasts like us, consumers.

I have completely forgottonen what I wanted to buy: what I have in my hands is completely different. The mall is so efficient to influence anybody choices. I'd leave all and run away also because there are long cues at the cash. With my nonsense shopping probably I have made the other consumers so sad: everyone moved their giant trolleys to make pass: "go on! You have nothing!". 10 or more big trolleys opened a long lane to the cash: the mall is splitting me out like an undesired presence.

"E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle..." (Dante Alighieri - The Inferno)