Buying in Theory

Shopping brings a thrill of the potential. A new dress? Maybe an exciting date. Yoga mat? Maybe a toned body. Cookbook? Maybe the pots will stop collecting dust.

All of these things are in theory. The new dress will not make a date happen. Nor will it improve a date or make him dance better. The yoga mat can do little to tone the body if it stays rolled up in a corner. And the cookbook might linger on the kitchen table but it will linger without any of the cabinets opening up magically.