With over ten clothing items hanging from each of our arms, my best friend and I waddle our way around racks of dresses and rompers in search of a fitting room. It's summertime, we’re in Manhattan, and we’re shopping at Forever 21. Any shopper should see these three facts combined as being a lethal trio. As we carry our chosen summer tops and frilly pants, weaving through less experienced tourists, sales attendants, and colorful displays, we each manage to add even more items to our burning arms. Our awkward walk around the cluttered floor continues as we join a parade of women and men weighed down by their stylish choices in search for the cramped rooms. Finally, it seems as if the clouds have separated and the sun’s warm rays are reaching our eyes; we’ve found the glorious words “Fitting Room” hanging above a wide opening in the wall across the second floor of the four-story shopping hell. Just when we think the worst of the shopping trip has ended, we're faced with a new situation. Outside of the fitting rooms, stuck between flustered sales associates and the children’s clothing section there is a seemingly endless line of people similar to us: pale, sweaty, and hungry, and holding plenty of hangers wielding different variations of the same summer trends, each waiting for the few rooms. A pivotal moment in our trip is taking place. We turn to each other and ask, “Is it worth it?”
So, though this anecdote may be a completely dramatized event of what happens at your local mall, I’m sure all people can relate to these events. Everyone has found themselves in a situation wondering if they should wait in line and try on the clothing they’ve spent hours collecting, or if they should just sift through them and blindly buy the pieces that seem like they’ll fit.
If you choose the latter option, you can leave the mall quicker with your purchase. You have more time at that moment to do what you want. However, when you do get home and try on the pants you should have bought in a larger size, you have to take time out of future plans to make a separate trip in attempts to exchange the item before the 30-day return policy’s ends.
On the contrary, this situation can be avoided if you choose the first option, wait in line for a half an hour, realize the pants are too small, ask an associate to grab you the next size up and leave with a pair of pants you love.
This idea has become a way for me to realize how putting effort into something now will lead to less hassle and more benefits later. This can be applied to anything and for me it’s something I wish I had realized in high school. Yes, I could go out with friends on the night before a test, but if I didn’t would my grade be higher? I convinced myself that the answer “no.” I believed my grade would be the same no matter what, or that my college acceptances wouldn’t be affected by the amount of time I put into my applications. I thought that what I was experiencing in the now was what was most important. And while it is true that working your life away may not be the best option, not working at all and just having fun certainly isn’t either.
Living in the moment is important, but preparing for the future is what makes those moments possible.
