G – Going Shopping

I still remember the very first ever shopping trip which I made on my own. It was initiated by my physiotherapist (of all people.) My physio was amazing and could obviously see the need to get my independence up. At one of my sessions she suggested that I went into a shop, on my own and buy something. My first purchase was a house plant for Mum & Dad as a ‘thank you’ for all they do for me. If I said I was sweating with nerves, when trying to get my purse out to pay then that would be an understatement! In today’s terms, it probably felt the equivalent to me jumping out of a plane! Another activity which my physiotherapist also recommended was for me to walk around on my own and I vividly remember Mum getting me to walk from Boots to Marks and Spencer’s on my own. Doing this felt like a hike, again I was sweating like mad – people who know Hemel will know that it really is not far at all.   Shopping can obviously be split into two categories – shopping for clothes and shopping for food – in this post I will cover both.

The main question which I need to ask myself when I go shopping for clothes is, will I be able to get the garment off? Due to my disability and my right side being particularly weak I find it very difficult to put both arms up straight above my head – this was especially true when I was younger.  I remember going shopping with Mum and she found me a lovely dress to try on. After being in the changing rooms with me for a considerable amount of time Mum’s only choice was to rip the dress in order to get if off! A very upset Mum had to go and apologise profusely to the shop assistant who luckily, was very understanding and thanked us for not just putting the dress back on the hanger and walking away. Years on Mum has learnt to laugh about this incident but at the time it definitely was no laughing matter. As well as small openings for my arms, I find buttons a continual challenge – they were impossible when I was younger – now they are a struggle which I can usually manage.

Only last year, when I was out shopping, on my own I found a pair of trousers which I really liked. The button was fairly big so I thought, yes, I’ll manage to fasten and un fasten them. Not on the same scale as the dress incident but when I was in the changing room, I had to ask the shop assistant to come and undo the button for me. She probably thought that was strange and when I bought them she probably thought it was stranger still! I was fairly confident that once I had a time to practice fastening and un fastening them then the button hole would get slightly bigger and therefore easier. As I live on my own I did think, when I was practising, I would end up knocking on a neighbours door if I really couldn’t get them off but it never came to that and now, they are fairly easy to undo – I just make sure I go to the toilet before I am desperate! As well as finding shopping for clothes frustrating due to having make purchases dependent on fastening etc. I also find it quite tiring and it can make my back ache, easily. I therefore prefer food shopping

Food shopping for me is far more enjoyable and the main reason for this is because supermarkets have trolleys – if I am pushing something then I find my walking is so much easier.  I always remember going around Dunelm (not food shopping, I know) with a trolley and all I bought was a birthday card – no wonder I got weird looks! The other reason I prefer food shopping is that the achievement is instant – even if I am tired I can just get the basics relatively quickly and know that I’ve achieved something. Who wouldn’t agree that buying a bottle of milk is easier and quicker than buying an item of clothing? Obviously with food shopping there is the challenge of carrying it but I am lucky as I rely on my parents for the heavy shopping plus, I choose to shop in Asda where I know there is a taxi rank outside.

Bringing things right up to date…when writing the sentence re buying a bottle of milk being easier than buying clothing I did have to hesitate. Before the lock down I was in Asda and there was far more clothing than milk – not a bottle in sight! Just prior to writing this post I took on a new shopping experience – online shopping. My parents are now doing online shopping so I have just been on the online site, for the shop which they will be using, and have emailed them my list. When this horrible situation is over, I look forward to going shopping independently again. I know most disabled people would choose to do online shopping all the time but I genuinely like going around a supermarket with a trolley! I am however becoming partial to using the shops ‘click and collect service’ for clothes – if there is something specific I want, because I can sit on my sofa instead of trailing around a big shop where pushing a trolley is not seen as a norm.