Material Girl
Yesterday, while folding laundry in my completely torn up living room (yes, it’s still a mess because we haven’t finished putting down the flooring), I watched a couple shows about lottery winners, an episode of Monarchy, and then I followed that bit of jealous fit-inducing television with a program on women who buy haute couture. I stood there, part of the unshowered, sweatpanted masses, and watched these people fork out more money than I make in a year on cars, clothes, houses, and toys. And they did it with such style (well, except for the lottery winners — they were rednecks gone rich who decorated a la Elvis).
And I seeeeethed with envy. Because I want. Want, want, want. There’s an emptiness inside me I want to fill with material goods, with superficial excesses, with frivolous and beautiful and luxurious bits of fabulous that I very much do not need.
These shows go right to the heart of the worst part of me: avarice and greed and keeping up with the Joneses. I should know better than to watch them. But those pretty, pretty things. They sparkle so, and my magpie nature is entranced, hypnotized with desire to have, to hold, to own.
Last night I went to bed with visions of lottery millions in my head, and I thought about all I would do, all I would have, all I would be. And of course I know I’d just be me, only richer. Probably with more empty places to fill. But in my fantasy I was whole, and happy, and admired, and safe.
This week I need to see stories about people who make it work, who make do, who have what they need and are happy with where they are, who recognize the value of health, and family, and friends, and saving.
Because right now I’m not satisfied. Right now I want to pick up a copy of Vogue, get my hair done, buy some really large sunglasses, wear every single diamond I own, hire some help, and then go shopping for things I don’t need. Right now I’m as shallow as I get, unreasonable and impractical and vain and empty.
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And now I’m full again because a reader — a reader I didn’t even know I had — has given me a super awesome fantastic award. It is so magnificent an award, that it’s in Spanish. I think. Wait. It looks more like Portuguese. Either way, AWESOME!
Thanks Sassy Two Socks! You are, obviously, the best person ever.
I want to redecorate my house. And hire a maid. And buy cashmere sweaters. And travel first class.
In other words, you’re not alone.
Finn’s last blog post..The Sound And The Fury
You need to hang out with James, who is living in a house with no heat, no hot water, and only half a roof. And, who is still as good natured and sunny as if he were living in a suite on top of the Ritz.\
I couldn’t live like that. But then, I don’t have to, thank god.
trouble’s last blog post..getting one’s priorities straight
“This week I need to see stories about people who make it work, who make do, who have what they need and are happy with where they are, who recognize the value of health, and family, and friends, and saving”
This is exactly what kind of person I´m trying to be, but unfortunately I get caught up in materialism too. I hate it about myself because I know that shopping is like a high that when I´ve bought, I feel just like I never bought anything at all, emptiness.
This is something I´m grappling with a lot lately, because buying a house is so far out of my reach (and even more now that I´m unemployed)and I´ve let it reach obsessive levels. I´m trying to change my whole outlook on everything material and it is not easy at all. The biggest problem is that after realizing that I want these things to be meaningless to me, I realize that the things I want to be meaningful I´ve been ignoring, neglecting, or even hurting. It´s left me quite empty and trying to rebuild.
Oh, I still want new clothes, boots, massages, vacations and the like, but I want other stuff to begin to occupy number one in my brain and not all this crap.
Bluestreak’s last blog post..Effort to change my karma
re: store closings. A whole bunch of stores are closing for good or some of their locations. These include: Anne Taylor, Eddie Bauer, Cache, Talbots, Gap,Footlocker, Bombay, Zales, Macys, Home Depot, Pacific Sunwear, PepBoys, Sprint,Pennys, Ethan Allen, Sharper Image (all stores), etc. There’s a ton!
Claire’s last blog post..Dumbass
I feel this way every year around this time. Maybe because I feel like I can’t indulge myself because I’m supposed to be buying for everyone else and they might be buying this stuff for me but it does absolutely eat at me. Plus, man oh man would it be nice to have someone else clean before Thanksgiving.
Kizz’s last blog post..Respect A Woman Who Knows What She Wants
I always find that when I have a bit of dinero to spend I can’t find a single thing I want, need or that fits. When I don’t have money, Imy eyes land on everything.
To satisfy my need to get something new, I hit a second hand shop in town and spend $20 in cash. I can usually get a few cool things for $20 and not feel guilty about it.
I fight that urge all the time. Because while I’m opposed at every level to rampant consumerism, I’m a sucker for toys. Just bought myself a new iPod in fact. Sigh.
A Free Man’s last blog post..But no one ever gets the truth from plastic man
I think my hubs wants to strangle me because I fluctuate between the want and the satisfied/grateful so often these days. I want more for us, but to want more day after day makes my head hurt. It’s why all these TV shows are so popular, it gives us that escape.
NATUI’s last blog post..Weddings Are New Beginnings
I’m feeling this particular pain as well!
Budgets suck, being responsible is highly over-rated. Can’t we just go shopping?
we_be_toys’s last blog post..A Tale Told By A Nine Year Old
I get like that all the time. And being here in Florida has induced a horrible fever burning inside me sending me to Ross, Marshalls, and TJMaxx. Oh yeah– and Target.
Florida Girl In Sydney’s last blog post..Sydney Girl In Florida?