Makoto's Defense: Why I Get Tired at the Mall

There is a proposed anthropological explanation for why males are more likely to fizzle at the mall compared to their female counterparts. I read a recent article explaining this hypothesis. Primal man assumed the role of hunter, and correspondingly, modern men need to have a particular focus when they are out purchasing a product ("the prey").

Women played the part of forager/gatherer, and took time to search through foliage and patiently wait for edible plants, fruits and berries to develop and ripen so they could be harvested. Much in the same way, women tend to have an innate patience to forage through racks and racks of clothing, harvesting items suitable to try on in the endless lines of the changerooms. Women seem to have limitless patience in clothing stores. Men tend to prefer shopping only with a purpose, such as when they have run out of holeless socks, or require a large purchase item such as a newer large screen TV (I guess this would be like hunting a buffalo).

If you think of the ultimate guy-centric, guy-designed store, it is the beer store. There is absolutely no element of unnecessary aesthetic. The automatic door opens directly into the line-up to the cash. The menu is placed adjacent to the line-up, so you can quickly decide on your purchase as you are approaching the cash. You pay for your purchase and get the heck out of there. It really is an ingeniously developed model of efficient shopping.

However, as Aileen discovered, there are ways to keep my energy elevated and my endurance up for the marathon that is otherwise known as the mall. Both Jugo Juice and Booster Juice chains have smartly kept up with the times and now offer pure freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juices, instead of their previous focus on sorbet/sugar based smoothies. The concentrated antioxidants, enzymes and natural sugars in a fresh juice will power you through at least another hour of shopping. I do have to give her credit for diagnosing and treating my deteriorating health so quickly at the mall, using a naturopathic-friendly protocol. I am always amazed at Aileen's sheer endurance at the mall and the joy that accompanies her shopping trips. Maybe it is her equivalent of UFC? :)

Anyhow, so it turns out the anthropologist who proposed the gender theory of shopping is a married man, and I would bet that his brilliant research originated from a disagreement with his wife at a mall somewhere!