The mall scene isn't what it used to be

I don't make it a point to frequent malls. In fact, I do whatever I can to stay clear of them and only venture in when I have a valid reason to have to go. And since the nearest Apple store is in a mall near where I live, and I had to go visit them to resolve a technical issue with my Macbook, I took Chris and Jeff with me the other night.

Chris and Jeff don't remember our visits to the mall when they were little. Chris doesn't remember because he was probably just a baby being pushed in a stroller and Jeff doesn't remember because, well, by the time he came along, I likely didn't step foot in one with four shortlings in tow. Hello, I'd like to think I was never *that* desperate.

So, Chris, Jeff and I went to the mall the other night and you might have thought I was taking them to Disney World. I'll bet you never knew how much fun escalators can be when you don't ride them often. And the food court? So many choices in one place. Although Jeff couldn't understand where the remote controls were for all the mounted television monitors.

It occurred to me that perhaps I was sheltering them too much since they were awestruck at the most common things we see every day. Until we came across the pool with the giant bubbles in it, with other shortlings INSIDE the giant bubbles.

And then I realized that perhaps I was myself sheltered too much because when did these come about and how come I never saw them before now?




I will not be at all surprised when the next time I have to go visit the Apple store, I'll see a giant roller-coaster, and shoppers will be allowed to use the Segways that the mall cops use to get around.