Paying Attention Due to Hurricane Sandy I was unable to complete this assignment to anywhere near what I would have liked to do.

What I was able to do was visit some stores that had items I needed to prepare for the hurricane for supplies:

1. A drug store;2. A hardware store;3. A corner store.

The Corner Store A very simple discount store. The main premise behind the store is, “Buy stuff here. We’re cheap.”

For a discount store it is surprisingly inviting: the front is well lit, the windows are open, and the doors are open. On sale items are displayed outside (and was convincing enough to get me to buy something from it). Inside, the store is still well lit though cramped. There is a local radio station playing over the loudspeakers.

The aisles are tight and full of goods. It provides the impression “if you cannot find your cheap good here, you won’t find it anywhere.” The Drug Store The drug store is similar in nature to the discount store: it is very utilitarian in nature and looks very much the same on the inside. The outside, however, is very different.

Interestingly, instead of looking open and inviting, the window coverings of the smiling family actually seems to shut down the welcome-ness of the store and makes it look like it is closed. It darkens the outside of the store, the doors seem to be hidden and, being tinted, add a further negative nuance. They could really stand to brighten the outside of the store! The Hardware Store My final utilitarian store of the day was the hardware store. The roof on my shed needed replacing, and needed it quick! So I was off to purchase wood to replace the roof.

The best thing about Home Depot is its openness. It has two very large entrances and exits (not pictured) that have automatic doors and people on the inside to greet you. The day I visited there was a firefighting crew parked in the front to educate children who were interested. The inside of the store had music, very upbeat music, designed to put people in a good mood and “ready to build something.” There were employees everywhere, to the point I had to actually tell multiple people I did not need help. Conclusions It is difficult to pay too much creative attention to surroundings when focused heavily on preparing your home for a major incoming storm. If I had more time to complete the assignment I would have visited other retail and speciality stores, such as Nordstrom, Lego, and the Apple Store. What I did discovery as commonalities among all stores is that they all kept their shelves stocked, all their aisles were rather tightly placed together, making it difficult for two carts to

pass, and two of them were well lit on the outside, creating a welcoming atmosphere. The drug store was not well lit on the outside and appeared to be closed until closer examination. They could alleviate this by either removing the window coverings to let the light shine out or by putting displays outside the store. Creativity Afterward To not let the topic of creativity go by the wayside, when cleaning the house gutters, we discovered a baby pine tree that had just taken root. To memorialise the occasion, we kept the baby pine and named it Sandy, in honour of Hurricane Sandy which caused all the uproar. We will grow it and use it as our family Christmas Tree until we are unable to keep it in a pot, when we will either plant it at home or donate it.