I quite like eating so tomorrow morning I once again set my alarm clock to rouse myself to earn another tin of beans for the larder.
I have been employed since I left education, going back to work when the Feckers were both three months old and struggling through the odd times when the MD changed jobs and money was tighter. We are (I hate to say it) an average family. We have an average lifestyle, an average mortgage and two point four average children.
Yesterday a friend popped in.
"Oh my God, is that new?"
I cringed. I wanted to crawl under a stone but not before I had run off a list of excuses for having bought such a thing. I don't need justification for buying a new pair of shoes/earrings etc so why do I feel so bad?
"It's huge." she added.
"I know, I know, don't remind me." I said diverting her attention to some coffee.
"Why did you buy it then if you don't like it? My kids would kill for something like that."
When she had gone I went in and stared at the new thing. The rest of room is quite acceptable in my eyes. There's a trunk we nicked from a skip that holds all the DVD's and video's. The weird thirties cabinet that I bought from a junk shop and lovingly restored and a small table that the junk shop man gave me because it was in pieces (again restored).
I glared at the monster that is now squatting in my living space. Forty inches of high definition televisual entertainment earned with our hard earned average money - so why do I feel so guilty?
.
30 comments:
I know exactly where you're coming from Kate,it's the years of going without to make ends meet.Now you can do it it feels totally wrong,give it a week and you'll feel as if you've allways had it.
Cos we were bought up to save and count the pennies! And to feel guilty about buying 'luxuries.' Enjoy it! You need something to keep the feckers mesmerised whilst you write!
Forty inches...blimey! :)
Forty Inches!
I'm envious and drooling! Congratulations and I do believe that the guilt will pass, my dear.
No, Monsoon, it is always going to look like a monster!
I'm not sure that I will ever enjoy it, Jon, but films are really good!
Please don't drool, Roberta, you'll make a mess on me blog and I shall be forced to package it up and send it over to you!
its ok to splurge once in a while, and electronics are a delight really...i don't watch tv or i'd have got me one too ;)
Cheers and congrats on the buy!
N
I don't watch TV either, NM, apart from the odd film so the splurge seems worse than it should be. The rest of the family are in seventh heaven though!
Some monsters are nice:-)
perhaps it is the side of the pond I live on but I could not feel guilt for such a purchase (unless of course me child was starving).
I so covet a high definition plasma TV.
Put it down to research needs! lol
It's nice of you to sacrifice for your family that way.
I couldn't do it.
I've always had kind of a snobbishness toward television in that I've never allowed one to be out in the open where our guests can see it. I've always thought it gave the wrong message. Like some kind of alter of worship or something. I keep them hidden in the bedrooms.
Strange but true.
Does that sound weird or what?
You NEED it darling. Your eyesight just isn't what it used to be. Really, truly.
Happy New Year, you consumerist piglet you.
Average? You lot? Don't make me larf ...
I am not jealous as it would not fit in my 'flat' anyway! I just have the second hand junk...Happy new year to you Minxie... !!
No guilt. If you want it and you can get it, then by all means, do so.
If you got guilt over that, then methinks you must not spoil yourself much. In that event, it is high time.
Jon is right anyway - no one living in your home will regret your getting it, and neither will the friends who come over to enjoy it with you- I'd wager.
Happy New Year Minx!
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Can you write it off on next year's taxes as a "babysitter" for your children while you're writing?
I'm sure people have written off less important things...
Angelique
Life's too short. If you came about said purchase honestly, than sit back and enjoy.
There's some consolation in the fact that when your mind is sufficiently rotted, you won't notice...
Just spoken to Minxie on her mobile and she's asked me to tell you all she hasn't been sucked into a virtual black hole.
It's worse than that.
She has no internet connection OR landline and no idea when they'll be back up.
The way I see it, we have 2 choices. We can either trek down to Cornwall and see if we can find the storm-damaged line and fix it ourselves with sticky-back plastic and spit ...
Or ...
We can throw a wild party on her blog to welcome her back when she does get here eventually.
Now. Which to do???
Never apologise- never explain!
That's a quote but I don't know who from. Anyone else know? I often say this when I feel guilty about feeling guilty.
TV is a modern form of crystal ball
anyway. Have fun watching the match on your scrying glass!
Happy New Year!
Oooh have just noticed the cat's away.
Well we know 'ow 't throw a paaaaarty.....don't we.
So, erm, if there's all this guilt... why'd ya buy the monster? Or were you planning on enjoying the guilt, if not the movies you'll watch on the beast?
;-)
It is the non-pagan part of you, since you left education, that has bought into the guilt trip laid on personal pleasure. With, perhaps, a dash of regret for crowding reading to further back in family member priorities in hopes of better use of the digital medium. That we earn more than a tin of beans and the roof require in a something-for-nothing culture makes us like fish in a barrel for snake oil salesmen.
Debi, I'm with you on the party here in her comments. How about everyone confessing worse guilt.
Some one else will have to go, I haven't felt guilty for anything since 1973.
Maybe watching the Antique Roadshow on it might help ... ? No?
Clearly, the death rays from the monster have interfered with the phone lines. Let that be a lesson to you, Material Girl.
Now ... party ... I still have gin left over from the last one but champagne supplies are depleted and I've misplaced the chocolate fountain.
There really is no equivalent for doing it bloggie style. Minx would have to do a post, and sent it post, to one person, who would comment on it, and then mail it to the next person, and then that person would comment and send it to the next, on and on, about the globe, till done, then it would be mailed back to Minx, who would read all comments, and comment on them, and then send it back out again, snail mail style, to the first person, who would send it to the next, onto all the commenters. And what about the lurkers? And what if people were away? And the process would take a month, if we were lucky enough that it didn't get lost. (either in the mail system, or in people's homes).
So I guess we just have to wait for the internet to work again. That said, I am all for someone, who isn't me, going out there to fix those storm-damaged lines.
G&G,
hmm.. thinking this over I found it might be easier to try and think of something I don't feel guilty about. Thinking.....thinking......
Taff - we have precedents for some really wild blog parties. They're great - even the hangovers are virtual.
Can't say more now - I'm busy carving out a giant ice sculpture of our absent Covenista as the centrepiece for the table.
Enjoy it while you can. Soon as Minx gets back she'll be hacking chunks off it for her gin.
Debi,
Do you know who Minx reminds me of in many ways, and it makes me love her tons?
Auntie Mame.
Scarlett & V.
Still not back then? And its raining even more...
Minx.
Tear yourself away from the telly. Do it now. This is an intervention. :::Thwapping you on the head:::
This is not the time to leave us all tripping over our own words and waiting for the Goddess to put us to rights!
They are just images, dear Minx. Turn if off. Turn it off now!
It will suck out all of your creativity!
here's another reason to feel guilty for your 40" monster
Post a Comment