Disconnect Between Store and Home

Despite being a Feng Shui consultant for all these years and despite claiming to know my space intimately, I apparently know nothing when I get in a store. Once again this week I was reminded of the emotional power of consumerism. I bought something for my house that I thought would be great, got it home, and now don’t like it at all. It isn’t a simple matter of taking it back because this particular item we bought it in China.

I’ve had this experience when buying clothes. I first encountered this disconnect during one of our first trips to Mexico. I bought a dress while we were there. It was adorable. I wore it almost every evening when we went out to eat; it was sassy and flirty and I felt great in it. I got it home and never wore it again. It wasn’t that I didn’t think about wearing it, but whenever I took it out of the closet, it just didn’t fit the occasion. I’d put it on in an attempt to re-create the feeling I had wearing it in Mexico, but it never worked. Rather than sassy, I looked ridiculous.

While in China recently we bought a piece of art at one of the gardens in Suzhou. We had just experienced a delightful evening tour of the garden, found ourselves in their gift shop and bought a painting. The colors were soft and muted; I was sure it would always remind us of a very enjoyable time. I have now brought it home and realize it simply doesn’t fit. I’ve walked around the house holding it up in the hopes it might land somewhere. The colors, although nice on their own, aren’t really even close to what blends here in our home. The size is awkward. I’m not remembering the great time we had in that garden but instead am a bit annoyed that we’ve got this expensive piece with nowhere to hang it.

As I see it now, we removed ourselves from our environment and got swept up in the setting, the store, the feelings, forgetting whether the item we’re purchasing is appropriate in our lives. Of course, there have been some times when I’ve bought something that far surpassed my expectations. But that’s a different side of the same coin. I’m still buying something I like in that moment without considering the context in which it will have to fit when I get home. I may get lucky or I may not. In terms of clothes, perhaps it’s a way for us to be someone else for a while, or do something we wouldn’t ordinarily do in our normal life. In terms of buying things for the home, regardless of all my Feng Shui training, I let go of the connection to my home, forgetting what will work and what won’t.