So, because today is the last day of school before winter break, there are two questions which are buzzing around. The first is, "you, me, Formal?" but that's not really what i wanted to talk about
Really, We all turn to one another and ask, "what are you doing for winter break/christmas?"
And my classmate says, "absolutely nothing."
Confused, I asked, "Nothing? No gifts, no parties?"
"Nope. "
And then he explains that this is a good thing, because then he doesn't have to worry about getting gifts for other people.
"But, you won't be doing anything? Not even candy in your stocking? Not even socks, or pijamas?"
"Well...maybe I'll get candy...But no, no presents, nothing...."
And I, because I'm self involved, go on about how i would always get pijamas...and how I would always be happy to get them. And then...I tell about how I'm so excited, because I know I'll be getting two coats for christmas...and how they'll be perfect for college next year (because I'm going up where it snows.....)
And he asks..."Two coats? Are you going to wear them at the same time? What's the point?"
And I, pleased with myself, and the very pretty coats that my mother and I just bought say, (matter-of-fact-ly, with the utmost sincerity) "Yeah! of course! One for dresses, and one for pants!"
And he pauses. And, (rather angrily, it seemed...) he says "Are you serious? Why wouldn't you just buy one coat and wear it for both?"
And I....because I was under the impression that I NEEDED two coats...didn't know what to say.
Flabbergasted, I just exclaimed, "I just wanted two coats, okay? Can't I have two coats?"
So...now I've been rethinking my entire logic. Did I, or do I, really NEED two coats? I have recently become very concerned with fashion, so It seems just natural....all the jackets/sweaters/blazers/or whatever it is i wear....they all come to my waist/hips at best, so I can't really wear them to church, or with skirts, because it looks a little silly. Also, 90% of them are too casual to wear to church anyways.
I suppose I don't/didn't need two coats...but my mom said I could! She said...what do you want for christmas? What do you want to buy with the money grandma is giving you? Do you want to get a coat and boots to match? Do want to just get two coats? So I said, yeah! let's get two coats!
I mean...I think it would be very nice to have two coats. Maybe I'm just justifying it with myself, but if I have two coats, because I can easily wear them both with pants, I will have a spare, in case I spill something on one, or one gets wet, etc. Plus, if I have one for skirts and one for pants, I'll wear one less often, it therefore becoming my "church coat," and it will stay nice! I guess I could layer them, if I wanted to...Dunno how that would work, but I could...
Does that make me materialistic? Does wanting two coats make me a terrible person? Should I be more concerned with others rather than myself?
Certainly, yes to the last question....But aren't I allowed to think of myself sometime? Aren't i allowed a little me time? Can't i be happy? I tend to dress for sucess...when I'm happy with my outfit, and I know I look great, I often feel great and more confident too. Does that make me a shallow person? Am I self centered because I like looking good, and I like to wear nice things? Am I not allowed to have nice things?
This week has been the only time I've been able to semi-relax in a long time. Should I not be allowed to relax? I've been constantly justifying things with myself... "I'm going to china over spring break, so I have to save up all my money for that.." or "I don't have anytime to bake cookies or make any sort of christmas presents...", or "i have all these things that I have to do for church, school, choir, piano, plus the normal home stuff, that I don't have time for anything..." And while this is all true, that if can hardly do the things i'm supposed to be doing all the time, how am I supposed to take on any extra things? Things are falling apart all around me, but am I just letting them? I'm not really making a sufficient effort to change, am I? I say how I wish i could do this or that...but I don't do anything...I just sit around, and I don't change anything!
This is also why i haven't blogged since october/november...and why my last blog was merely a copy-paste of something I've already done. The blog before that was something I was doing anyways...
Am I really this lazy? Should I feel guilty for being this lazy? Should I feel bad for being cranky, and mean to my brother? Do I have to be perky and happy all the time? Am I allowed to have one crappy day?
I really don't know. I guess I should change. I mean, the best way to live is to put yourself last, isn't it? Aren't we supposed to be happier if we do? If we think of others? Perhaps....it's because i'm doing neither...or I'm putting myself first.
Blogging about this really didn't make me any happier. Darn.
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Yes, yes it does. You should want three.
Nicholas Aden
Self-Promotion
Click to send Hate Mail
Only three, Nick? How minimalist of you. You should want four coats, with matching outfits for each, including jewlery, ipods, cellphones and one car for each coat.
"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything."
Friedrich Nietzsche
I was going for the "two for the pot, one for the chef" approach, you know? Two for me 1 to give away?
Nicholas Aden
Self-Promotion
Click to send Hate Mail
Tsk, tsk. I don't know what's become of you. Now you're going to give something away? I thought that you pastafarians celebrated getting gifts, not giving them.
"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything."
Friedrich Nietzsche
Yeah...but Karma is a bitch. You don't fuck with Karma. She is, alas, a vengeful goddess. In order to get, you've gotta give. And if you get and don't give, Karma will fuck you over.
Nicholas Aden
Self-Promotion
Click to send Hate Mail
So get the four cars with matching outfits and then give someone a gift certificate to Wall Mart.
"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything."
Friedrich Nietzsche
Yay me! the first comment argument in my blog/column! I feel so special. Especially since it's from the featured blogger of the week!
Because...as you've displayed, it's not as if I've fallen THAT far...I'm not THAT materialistic. But that's the way I would justify it to myself. Even if what everyone else is doing is worse, that doesn't really make what I'm doing okay, does it?
There's no argument, lmfao. Just a running joke.
I just think that if you get a bunch of what you don't need and give nothing back, you'll end up getting fucked over by Karma.
Nicholas Aden
Self-Promotion
Click to send Hate Mail
Well, just because killing two people is worse, that doesn't mean killing one person is ok. Wanting two coats for Christmas, however, is perfectly acceptable. Honestly, is two coats. That's not a big deal.
Now, some people, well they just make
amp;
"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything."
Friedrich Nietzsche
Honestly, the way I imagine you saying it (perhaps not how you actual said it, but since I can't hear you, I have to rely on my interpretation), you sound just... snooty. I mean, you absolutely don't NEED two different coats, especially if they're the same exact coat. You may want them, and that's ok, but you don't NEED them.
And I have no idea what to say about the rest of your comment.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
They are very different coats, if that makes any difference. (Length, color, design, pockets...etc..). But it's very true, I don't NEED two coats, just like I don't NEED a car, or breakfast in the morning. But I am happy and grateful that I have my car, and i always feel better when I can have toast or cereal, instead of just an instant breakfast as I'm rushing out the door.
However, I suppose I am rather snooty....I'm at least self centered, since I was more excited about what I was getting than sympathizing with my classmate. But I suppose the first step is admitting you have a problem, so perhaps there is hope for me after all.
Progress starts with me.
Maybe you're classmate didn't want sympathy.
Maybe that's something that's making you appear "snooty..." you may not be intending it, but thinking that someone needs your sympathy in a situation like that is rather nose-raising.
Even if you're not a "snoot," the way things are being portrayed in this blog may make people think you are.
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If You Swear That There's No Truth And Who Cares, How Come You Say It Like You're Right? [Bright Eyes]
http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
There are so many things which I resolve to do, and they're probably all interconnected.
If I am confident with myself, I won't feel the need to justify myself, or brag about myself. And if I do that, I'll be one step closer to becoming more charitable, and more concerned for the being of my fellow man. And if I am more concerned with others than I am with myself, then I'll be more willing to serve others. And If I do that, then I'll be happier, because I'll be making other people happy.
Now i feel better.
Do you know what Emerson said about charity? Basically, what he said was that it was wrong to give simply because you are expected to. If you genuinely want to give to a charity, that's one thing, but if you're doing it because society expects you to, or just to feel better about yourself, you should think about what you're doing.
"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything."
Friedrich Nietzsche
Your Funeral Guy
R.Brian Burkhardt
http://lowercostfuneral.com
I live in one of the top ten richest counties in the USA....
Coats are Easy....Cars, Houses and 100 grand are a different story... time an money nope!!!
Fur coats are not easy. Anything else is quite simple.
You can take me up on this.
please this is not about materialistic.. this is easy.
i do not care about anything else, life is too short.
This is always a stressful time of year when we have to fight between being selfless and selfish. The key, as is everything in the universe, is balance. Sure you got two coats. I understand, I'm getting a GPS system. People asked, we complied. Welcome to the season.
Relax this season. Now is the time to not worry about all the shit that goes down during the semester. Grades, finals, homework, everything that causes stress in a student's life are finally put on pause. Go see a good movie, see the local light show or a stage show. Enjoy yourself.
Here is my question for you.... What are you doing to keep the balance? You have two coats now, what can you do to feel like you deserve them. Some people think their grades are enough to justify their gifts. Some visit the soup kitchen or old folks home. It could even be as simple, yet helpful, as preparing a special dish for christmas dinner or offering to wrap presents for your family to save some time. Someone forget the pie shells? Be the first to jump up and offer your services. The point of the season is not to feel guilty for receiving, but to balance it by giving time, love, and effort.
That is the secret meaning of the season.
Think about it...
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tomorrowtoday
My question to you would be, are you grateful for what you have? It is ok to want and own things if you appreciate them. Too many people EXPECT to have tons of material goods and don't take care about them or really care. I'm 19 and still haven't had a car yet...and I go to college 9hrs away from home. So let me tell you, it is possible. A car isn't a necessity, though many people think it is. So I just hope you're sincerely grateful for what you have. I also think that if you can afford to own 2 coats you need to give something to charity. There is nothing I hate more than seeing my neighbors throw away outgrown clothing. Give it to charity, for goodness sake! There's people all over the country and world who would LOVE to have your old clothes. In my town there was a recent story about a homeless man who froze to death one night. Maybe if someone had given their spare coat to him he would still be alive....just something to think about.
You explained your reasoning for wanting two coats very well good job :)
never let others make you feel bad about what you want, DEPENDING
I myself have just purchased my third coat! Along with coats for my two little sister ( because my mom is low income and couldn't afford to buy them new coats this year)
Do whatever it is that makes you happy, while limiting any attitudes or behaviors that could bring harm to yourself or others.
YAy for multiple COats
peace
MYopia