Irony

Not just a delightful Pinot Noir from California, but something that occurs every once in a while in life for all of us.

For my book club this month, we're reading Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster. I've read this book before, and it still has me laughing in stitches the second time around. And my shop customers/book club participants are telling me they are enjoying the read, too!

I remember when I read this book the first time, Jen's story really spoke to me a lesson on frivolous spending. And for a while afterwards, I was very careful and financially responsible. But then I took another job with a bigger salary, and my old ways seemed to resurface. It's terribly difficult breaking such a fun habit as shopping. So, now I'm reading the book again, and it's making me realize that no matter how much I make, there really isn't any need to be buying yet another pocket book, just because I don't have an orange one, and you never know when you're going to need an orange Tumi messenger bag!

On the train I take to work in the morning there's a group of women whom I call The Hens. They are all mothers, and cluck, cluck, cluck the entire train ride! From listening in on their conversations for close to three years now, I have come to know that they all come from well to-do life styles, are utterly disappointed when they can't find one of their 4 pairs of Chanel sunglasses, and won't settle for off the rack! And this morning, they were all discussing their children's holiday concerts/plays. One of the women was complaining about how the kids in the show were responsible for their own costumes and outfits. That's how it was back in my day, too, so I didn't really think it an odd thing. But then Mother Hen #2 started complaining about the pants, shirt, jacket, tie, and shoes (because the black ones her son already has just 'won't do' since the entire outfit will be new) she needed to buy for this shin-dig. But at least she was able to find a Calvin Klein shirt for $100, so it really isn't too terrible!

*gasp*

We were lucky if my mom didn't take something out of our closet and dye it to make it work with what we needed...because you know we were hitting the Marshall's sale rack if anything did need to be bought!

And with hearing that while reading my book, I was up to the part in Jen's story when her and her husband are forced to move because they can't afford their apartment anymore, and she's sitting in her closet looking at all her frivolous spending; equating all her shoes to rent money, and her purse worth equal to months of health insurance! Well, that $100 this woman spent on a single shirt that her son will probably only wear once or twice in his life would pay for either a month of groceries or utilities for me!

Yikes!