Day 26: Targeting the Big Picture

A recent shopping trip to a mall here in Charlotte taught me something about myself that I found a bit surprising. Southpark mall is not your average shopping center. The stores include Tiffany’s, Cartier, Nordstrom’s, Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs, and dozens of other notable high-end stores. The interior of the mall itself is gorgeous with furniture much nicer than any I’ve ever had in my house arranged into lounging areas throughout the mall. It is a very intimidating place, even for a snob like me and I am loathe to go there when I am not properly attired in both fashionable clothing and fat wallet. Don’t get me wrong, I love to shop, but what I’ve discovered is that I’m really kind of a Target girl.

Target might be the most perfect store on Earth. You can shop there and feel comfortable in anything from cut-offs to a dress, not that I would ever wear cut-offs. They sell everything including groceries, linens, hardware, cosmetics, clothing, etc. While it is true that lots of stores do this, including the detestable Wal-mart, what makes Target stand out is that despite being a discount retailer, it is not shameful to shop there. I have worn jewelry, dresses, even shoes from Target and proudly proclaimed my beloved bargain find. Now that many Targets also include a Starbuck’s branch, there seems to be no reason not to go.

Maybe what my feelings about Target and the elite mall are saying is less about my preferred shopping choices and more about the type of person I am. After all, I lived in New York for over seven years and survived just fine without a Target (though I secretly lusted for one). If I’m going to be honest, I also have to admit that if sufficient funds found their way into my bank account I’d likely be shopping more at Marc Jacobs then Target’s women’s department. Even so, a big part of who I am is a Target girl. I’m not your typical high maintenance woman and the experience of shopping at the snob mall versus two hours wandering the aisles in Target will leave me wanting more of Target every time.

As a woman, I am perfectly at home in a sexy dress with a martini in hand. I love expensive shoes, overpriced cosmetics, and luxurious fashion splurges. I just happen to love my jeans, halter-tops, and natural hair more. Material goods are fantastic, but not worth going into debt over. I’d rather spend the money traveling or drinking good wine, than wearing it. Target is my kind of place. It looks good without causing too much damage to the bottom line. I am low maintenance in the traditional ways, but demanding in lots of others. I want things the way I want them and I will be the first to tell you, that yes, I do want my cake and to eat it too. Otherwise, what’s the point of having cake?

Target girls have a better appreciation for the bottom line, but we don’t care so much how we get there. I am not demanding about little things so much as I am more concerned with the overall effect. You don’t need to know, for instance, that I achieve my look mainly with Target found toiletries and cosmetics. The bottom line is if I look good. Yes, the bag might be from Target, but it rocks with this outfit! The same is true in real life. I cut some corners and often look for a shortcut, but I still get where I need to be. My friendships occur from a spontaneous connection with someone rather than a dozen meetings and untold conversations revolving around small talk. I either like you or I don’t. You either think I’m an opinionated bitch or fresh and forthright. I am actually pretty easy going once the basic requirements of my happiness are met. The hard part is discovering what those requirements are.

Most women I know are high-maintenance. The husband once called me easy-going and it shocked me. I never thought of myself that way and I have a long list of past friends who never thought of me that way either. I think what he meant, is that after knowing me and figuring out my particular quirks, it’s just a matter of gauging my mood on a hour to hour basis. I might be low-maintenance, but even I know I am a moody bitch. I also have a hard time making small decisions, so I like to have a little of everything. I like tapas instead of entrees, wine flights instead of a single bottle, watching movie trailers rather than the whole movie, a store full of lots of different things I can afford rather than an overpriced store with one shirt within my budget . . . you see where this is going.

A Target girl has her eye on the big picture. We have basic needs that need to be met along the way, but we’re not going to sweat how we get there so much as making sure that we do, in fact, arrive. We’re not completely low maintenance, there are specific requirements to our happiness. We’re not about to be caught dead in a Wal-mart or flat shoes, for instance, but we’ll take the tangled hair of driving with the top any day over air conditioned perfection.