Zoned Out

I saw an educational program on the television a few years ago where the scientists told me that basically to avoid going crazy at the grocery store, your brain basically "zones out" so you aren't overloaded with stimuli.

Think about it, the grocery store (in the US anyway) is packed with rows and rows of stuff. You can't POSSIBLY look at and read and process everything. It would take all day, or it would fry your brain.

In fact, they did an experiment where they placed a 6-pack of beer in the cereal aisle. It was kind of blocking a box of cereal and about 10 people had to slide it over to be able to grab their cereal. After they all left the aisle, they were interviewed and asked if they noticed anything out of the ordinary while getting their cereal and NO ONE could remember the beer.

Yesterday, I had to return some items purchased in a panic the day before the wedding (2 weeks ago already?) at the mall. I also wanted to try on some strappy high-heeled sandals and a few SUPER on-sale dresses. Before I knew it, I had been there for about 3 hours. I had NO sense of having lost the time either.

But wait! There's more!

I then had to run off to Target (one more return from that day). While at Target, I full on lost my mind. I was a brain-dead shopping zombie. I began to have waking dreams and was hallucinating a little and was also having a hard time SEPARATING this shit from reality.

Like a cartoon character would do, I eventually shook my head side to side (sans the sound effect though) and thought to myself, "I've got to get out of here!"

Who knew shopping could take such a toll on the brain?