realizations in a fabric store

i took a friend to a fabric store yesterday and realized a few things while i was there. i don't understand the concept of browsing at all. if i go to a store, i know exactly what i need. what's the point of going if i don't know what i'm getting? i'm sure if i went to a store i enjoy without knowing this, much too much money would be spent. so is that the difference? is it just that i would spend too much? or maybe it's the sheer fact that i don't enjoy shopping that much...

after browsing, my friend showed me the pattern books and told me what to look for. i realized that i can't picture these patterns with different fabric. i can see the clothes in the book on an individual, but any more than that is too much for my brain.

i had many more observations to write about here, but can't remember them now...go figure :)