Jamie's Corner: Where Are We Going?

 

In the movies, I am not the elegant lady that walks down the stairs and charms her guests with grace and beauty. I am the one that trips on her gown, spills wine on her new dress and tries to carry on a conversation with spinach stuck in between her teeth. Years ago, it used to affect my sense of self and make my depression worse. But I no longer see it that way. A writer once told me anything that does not go smoothly in life makes for a good story. I agree. And I have lots of stories.

View the full archive of Jamie's Corner here.

My story this week: Where Are We Going?

I usually like to know where I am going; especially once I am in the car. I don't need all the details (although a little prep can help save time, money, and calories) but I like to have a clue. 

Charades is not my favorite game. I much prefer Monopoly or Uno. 

Friend: We are going to Q today

Me: Well, actually my favorite letter is J. Can we go to J today?

Friend: I need to get something at Q.

Me: I really liked Q in the bond movies. Are we getting some cool gadgets?

Friend: I am picking up a new shirt.

Me: Oh, I am disappointed. I had no idea Q was a clothing store. I was thinking of Q in the James Bond movies or maybe Q was for question, and we were going to a game store or to see a psychic.

Friend: You usually like going to clothes stores.

Me: Yes, but I didn't know we were going to a clothes store. Now, if you said we were going to Q Fashions, Q Clothing, even Q Haberdashery (although that is a men's clothing store), I would be fine with it. It would be very clear what we were doing and where we were going.

Friend: Well, they wanted to keep the prices of their clothes reasonable. When they decided to open a store, they chose the letter Q as a name because it was the cheapest letter to make. Large overhead leads to large prices.

Me: That's actually a cool story. But what if you're tired, a visitor from another state or country, or (like me) you've never been there? 

Friend: But don't you think not knowing exactly what a business is lends to its mystery?

Me: Yeah. A mystery of why I should give them my money. In my mind, you can call your business whatever you want but it should state somewhere in its name what type of business it is. Let's take GNC. On the sign they usually call the building GNC rather than Greater Nutrition Center. But they at least they follow it with the words Live Well. So, the sign says GNC Live Well. Granted, you may not know exactly what type of place this is, but at least they give you a clue. You pretty much know you're not going for hard liquor, clothes, or to have lunch. Unless, of course, you plan to buy a protein bar or protein shake for lunch.

Friend: It sounds like you have given this topic way too much thought. 

Me: You have no idea. Do you know that I passed a store called Liquor and Smokes the other day? I was really impressed. They weren't playing games wasting my time or being coy. If I were looking for liquor to bring to a party, this is the place I would stop at. These people are serious. 

Friend: Don't you think it would be cool if they called it On the Rocks or Up in Smoke?

Me: Those names are still good because, once again, at least you have a clue what you are buying there. I came across a cool store name called Box Lunch. I was so hungry; I hadn't eaten since the day before and it was 2pm already. I was thinking about what kinds of sandwiches or salads they served. It was a clothing store! When the salesgirl asked me if I was looking for anything, I told her a tuna sandwich with a diet coke. I don't think she appreciated my humor.