The Mall

The mall is a terrible place. I went there yesterday with the kids. It seemed like something to do on a rainy day when there are piles and piles of slushy snow everywhere. In hindsight, I could have thought of some other way to torture myself. I am allergic to malls at the best of times. They are too bright and there's too much stuff and too many people wandering around looking like they have a sense of purpose. I feel an existential angst creep over me and I have to leave. So why did I go? Because I have to purchase clothes now and then and, like I said, it was raining and we can't get out much until the snow clears. Of course the kids were bored and whining after about 10 minutes and so was I. And then we happened upon a strange children's area. It is essentially a large carpeted box...or "pit", if you will. The walls and sides are carpeted (a bright, zany pattern) and there are some small elevations in the corners. There walls are about 4ft high and there are chairs around the outside for "spectators". It was full of small kids running around and around squealing and laughing....having a great time. Eerie. I had trouble getting my kids out of there, they were having so much fun?!. What kind of evil genius created such a thing? Where can I get one? Maybe I could make one. A smaller version...out of a big cardboard box, some scraps of carpet, and some double-sided sticky tape...hmmmmm.