Sunglasses

My husband has gotten disgruntled a couple of times because I keep getting our sunglasses confused. They look the same to me in my world, which is probably revealing about how cheap my world is. 

Sunglass confusion isn't normally an issue since we don't see the sun regularly, but we're on vacation.

I bought new awesome sunglasses for only three dollars. Kirt got some Oakley's for his birthday. I have deduced that his cost more than three dollars.

Don't ever buy me expensive sunglasses. I break and lose them on a regular basis so the guilt and responsibility would kill me.

A bit like wedding rings. 

I've gone through four of them, but I found number three again in the potato patch so it doesn't really count.

I'm not a diamond girl. Besides all the ethical baggage around diamonds, I'm afraid Kirt would become bitter and hateful every time I lose them so twenty dollar bands are perfectly dandy.

I lost one in the cranberry bog many years ago. That was my favorite one. I learned the important lesson that cold hands in mucky water does not bode well for wedding rings. 

Number two was lost in a grocery store when I was telling a story with hand motions. 

Number three was in the potato patch but later recovered. 

Number four is somewhere in a drawer but it's really tight so I don't wear it unless I need to have something on my finger because I've lost number three again.

Here's my challenge. I'm a cheap German and a little scattered about where I place things. There are times I think I could live happily as a hermit in a cave without stuff to lose. Shopping does not bring me great joy and I hate feeling obligated to spend money as a way of showing affection. 

I'm willing to spend money if it is:
1. An experience
2. Good food
3. Outdoor equipment
4. Something I know will bring delight to someone I love
5. Sweaters or socks
6. Books

One of the great gifts of living in Juneau is that it is not convenient to eat out on a regular basis or shop on a regular basis. It's much easier to wrap your life around other elements of being. 

The temptation to eat out and buy stuff is much harder to resist when it is in your face every moment of every day. I knew I was in trouble when I picked up one of those creepy cats with moving eyes and arms to see how much it was. It never occurred to me to want something like that until I saw it was on sale. That was my cue to go sit outside.

And that's my cure when I feel the consumer bug start to eat me alive. 
I go outside. 
I close my eyes. 
If I can't ground myself in prayer and the eternal, I at least try to do a reality check and think of how much work and exercise it will take to pay off and burn off this trip. 

That's really it. How we vote has power, but how we spend our money probably has more. It's not like there's a perfect or pure way to use our money, but there is a mindfulness and awareness that's helpful. Some things are truly worth more.

I'm not sold on the thought that sunglasses are one of those things, especially since I normally end up layering them over my regular glasses. My kids tell me I look like a rock star when I do that Oakley's or not.