I admit it. I am one of those weird people who always says "No thank you, just browsing!" to the inevitable question posed by the salesperson: "May I help you with something?" Rather shamefacedly I also admit to getting slightly annoyed when I am asked this question more than once. By the third time I usually have several sarcastic remarks running thru my head. What part of "just browsing" don't you understand? (please note, my ever-so-Southern upbringing prevents me from being rude or voicing these little comments....I daresay if I did, my Mama would come down from heaven and give me a talkin' to). True, my browsing usually results in a purchase, but I normally do not need help finding something I came to purchase. When I need help, I know it, and usually ask for it right off the bat. And Lord help me there is something rather relaxing about being able to "just browse." No decisions, just lots of lovely things to remark upon - massive visual stimulation! Browsing is, at best, an excercise in creativity; at worst, a pleasant way to waste time. Your gaze lingers on a display of crisp linen napkins in silver rings, sparkling crystal and long waxy tapers as a centerpiece. Ideas start to churn...would it look right on the dining room table? Or maybe the tapers on the mantle and a big bowl of assorted silver napkin rings in the center of the table? And what type of wine would be served in those gorgeous cut crystal glasses? Browsing lets your mind have some play time...and I find I desperately need this time to appreciate beauty and let ideas run amok in my mind. Maybe that's why I resent someone asking me if they can help me. I know it is their job to do so, and an excercise in safety and customer service. But my answer shall remain steadfast: "No thank you - just browsing!"
