From the other side of the register

Very interesting read:   Luxury Shopping, from the Other Side of the Register

"My work, truthfully, is not bad, nor are the customers...  But there is something shocking about working in a place like this, especially around the holidays. It is the presence of money—lots of it, more than I have ever seen in one place before—and the ease with which it moves around me."

Something about the state of the economy and just growing older makes me realize more and more the reality of what shopping is - an experience to be bought.  And once you see past the glitz and gimmicks, you know what you really need, and that you can be happy without it.