Buyer's High, Buyer's Remorse

I'm going to try and not get all preachy, teachy here. No one likes that. I also believe that I am not a judgemental person. I truly try to see things from all sides. But here is my question. Just because it's there, why do we feel compelled to buy it? Is it because it is the newest, the best, the fastest? Scott and I were at the bank the other day. We were chatting with our banker and sort of joking about the old saying, "I can't be out of money, I still have checks left!" It's really not that funny. There are actually people that believe this. Same with credit cards. Some people think, with all of this available credit, why not spend some more?

So back to the buyer's high, buyer's remorse. As I'm going through my house and packing I am finding a few stray impulse buys. Those really cute flip flops that have the changeable top. Accurately named SwitchFlops. They don't work for me. Yes, they are the right size. Yes, they are the right color. Black. Reminds me of a story about Gracie. When she was three we were at her annual check up and her doctor asked her what her favorite color was. She said, "Black. It goes with everything!" The doc almost fell off his stool with wheels laughing. And to answer your question, she may have heard these words spill from my lips one time. Smile. So the flip flops. I had surgery on the top of my foot right before Christmas. What made me think I could wear these shoes? I got caught up in the moment and they were so cute. Left the store on a shopping high. Today, not so much. Put the shoes on and walked from my bedroom to the kitchen. Ouch!! Having much remorse and pain.

I think that we as a society do this often. We are looking for something to make us happy, feel whole, remind us of a trip, whatever. And then the next day we may be sad, have regrets and the charm of the buy is lost. I'm trying to get better at this as time goes on. Always a work in progress, I am. I'm trying to teach myself that it is OK to feel. To feel sad, to feel elated, to be frustrated and not always have the need to fix it. A lot of these feelings run a natural course in life. The valleys make the peaks feel more special. So my simple tip for the day is not to give up shopping. Just put some thought in to your purchases. Make sure it is something that you can live with tomorrow.
© 2010 Ann M. De Broux

My Secret Is Safe With Me

OK, just relax, no big, huge, life altering confession coming at you. Just a minor one. You see, I should be going through my house and packing some more. My husband had just pulled out of the driveway in the truck. With a trailer attached. With our neighbor and friend riding shotgun. Looking reminiscent of Sandford and Son. The truck and trailer brimming with lots from our garage. Headed north to the cottage. Much bigger garage there. Not so big in Madison. Hence the trip.

I thought I would sweep out the garage which is now practically empty. Reorganized a bit. Then I sat down for a minute to go through the mail. Big mistake. Do you remember how I was an Olympic junkie? Well, did you know that the Kentucky Derby is on today? Did you know that it is raining cats and dogs there? There are all sorts of human interest stories happening. The hats. There is a lady with a hat the size of an actual umbrella with a garden that must weigh 2o lbs on it. She will definitely be seeing her chiropractor on Monday. The famous people.
Diane Lane, Bode Miller, Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers! Sorry, I'm a little happy about the Pack. I'm a season ticket holder by marriage. Then they show me the gorgeous roses, the mint juleps and the horses. The beautiful horses. So shiny, muscular and poised. Yeah, I'm hooked. I'm staying until this is done. I'm actually planning a trip to Kentucky for next year's race. No I'm not. Just daydreaming.

So, if I were to have a horse and the funds to back it up, I think I would name it "My Secret Is Safe With Me." This of course would be in reference to May 1, 2010. The day that I should have been packing...
© 2010 Ann M. De Broux