From the Past - First Internet Purchase

He'd always wanted a black leather jacket.

But, there were two problems;
1. cost, and,
2. he'd never go shopping for or buy said item for himself.

So, with Christmas coming - those many years ago - I decided to get RAH a black leather jacket. But, in our small town, there was a K*Mart, a Wal*Mart, and an expensive men's store on Main Street. None of those seemed like a possibility.

I'd heard about "Shopping on the Internet." I was a catalog shopper, but had never purchased anything on the Internet. In fact, I didn't even know anyone who had bought anything via the Internet.

But, one night in the pink and blue bedroom turned into an office, I began searching for a black leather jacket on the Internet. It was rather dizzying.

I found one for $99.00. That sounded so reasonable to MOI!

I put in all the information and reluctantly hit the CONFIRM PURCHASE button. Immediately I was stricken with panic...what if the coat didn't fit, what if RAH didn't like it, what if they didn't send the coat and I was out the $99, what if it's a scam to get my credit card number? So many "what ifs" for my first time Internet shopping experience.

When the package arrived - sent to the school library so RAH wouldn't get it first - several of us stood around as we opened the box. The leather jacket was wrapped in tissue, and we opened the paper up to oohs and ahhs. (Opening any package with Beverly around is always extra exciting, so that made it even more memorable).

Whenever anyone came in the library that day, we would have them come look at the black leather jacket which was purchased off the Internet, and we were always quick to point out just exactly where it had been purchased. It was like we had discovered gold, landed on the moon, invented penicillin...well, maybe not quite like that, but it was definitely newsworthy....a package ordered from the Internet.

Quite a few years have passed since that package arrived. RAH wore that jacket for years, but recently, we bought a lighter, more attractive black leather jacket.

Now, several companies and I are on a first-name basis: Oriental Trading Company is always a handy place to get little items and have them shipped to grandkids, Amazon and I have established a very fond relationship, as have Chadwicks of Boston, EBay, Orbitz, and a few other companies.

And, I'm still always a little cautious about hitting the CONFIRM PURCHASE button, but I realize it's not the end of the world.

Nowdays, people don't think anything of buying on the Internet, but I don't think anything can quite compare to the thrill those many years ago of getting RAH's leather coat in the mail, lifting it out of the tissue paper, me trying it on to show my friends, realizing it was such a great coat/buy, and anticipating the thrill of having RAH open it on Christmas morning.

And, just what did RAH think of his long-wished-for leather jacket?

"WOW, where did you get this?'

My little secret.