My neighbor had a garage sale this weekend. Items lined her driveway as traffic trickled in and out between rain showers.
I loaded up my son in our baby carrier and told our 2-year-old we were going outside to see the neighbor.
As she got her shoes on, I found my purse and pulled some cash out of my wallet.
Just before we walked out the door, I got an idea. I asked my daughter if she would like to buy something at the garage sale. This would be her first purchase.
“Yes!” she said. I wasn’t sure if she knew what that meant.
“OK,” I said, “but once you give them your money, you can’t get it back.”
I say things like this, not expecting a reply, but hoping some of it will sink in.
We fished a dollar bill out of her little piggy bank (an old spaghetti sauce jar). Away we went.
A few short minutes later, she was toting one blue monkey with long Velcro arms wearing a Yankees jersey. She had no trouble handing over her dollar bill in exchange for the monkey. We walked home with her prize clutched in her arms. She kept saying, “Issa monkey. Look mommy, a blue monkey.”
At this moment, I fully intended to hear about this blue monkey for the next two days. I figured she’d attach the Velcro arms and legs to all the furniture, all her toys, probably her brother.
I figured I would have the most grateful little girl who was going to teach the world and me about contentment by enjoying this $1.00 monkey with stuffing coming out of it’s hands.
I figured wrong.
That monkey hit the floor moments after we walked back into the house. My daughter kicked off her shoes, stepped right over her new toy and found something else to play with.
Out of curiosity, I left the monkey to see how long it would take for her to notice. (There might have been an ounce of laziness involved, too.)
Three days later, it’s still on the floor.
What is the lesson to be learned here?
Stuff is just stuff; people are still people.
How many times have I bought something random that I ignored the next day?
For example:
I bought this navy blue suit jacket designed by Vera Wang. I felt like this represented everything I wanted to be in a financial coach. Professional and chic. So I bought it.
Days later, the jacket arrived in the mail. I slipped it on and looked in the mirror. My hands were almost completely submerged in sleeve fabric. It doesn’t matter who you are, if you’re wearing a suit jacket with too long of sleeves, you instantly look twelve years old.
So, it has been hanging in my closet. Right next to something else I need to take to the tailor. Epic, navy blue, Vera Wang. Gathering dust. ::sigh::
Join the Discussion: When was the last time you bought something, then sat up the next morning and said, “Doh!”?