picket fence (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Lately I’ve been on the hunt for some used, reasonably priced fence sections. This is not a need, this is a want, and I’m trying to be careful to keep that in mind as my hunt takes up more and more of my mental free-space. It is hard not to get single-minded about the pursuit. And Craigslist changes frequently, sometimes even in the span of a couple hours, so it is tempting to check it every 30 minutes or so. But I’m not obsessing about finding a fence, no not me.
Unless you count yesterday, because yesterday the fence wasn’t for me, and it was FREE so how can you put a price tag on the time it takes to find a place across town in rush hour? I went with this lady:
She’s ready to be shot out of a cannon.
Maybe she’s where I get it from, this deep satisfaction from a good deal. She found a vinyl picket fence on Craigslist and it was free. The only catch is that it was waaaaaay over in New Hope (that’s at least 30 minutes from me in good traffic) and she doesn’t have a truck. That’s where I come in.
It ended up fine and we found it eventually. It was in good condition and it all fit in the back of my/our truck. I even got a free dinner out of the deal, plus some fun time with my mom, so it was worth it.
But it got me thinking about how often we assume there is a perfect something out there: the perfect lipstick, a better deal on an appliance, faster service, a more immediate result. And in looking for the better whatever, do we miss out on something that is really really good because we’re waiting for that something better?
We know it happens in romantic relationships but does that ever happen in friendships?
How much of our lives are spent in the search for “perfect” stuff/deals/services and how much is that time worth?
How much of our days are spent surfing the web (read: Pinterest) for a DIY idea and how much of this makes our own attempts look like kindergarten art projects? What does that do to a person after a few years?
What is a healthy balance between aspiring to the better and being happy with what I have or what’s available to me? Does it feed into a spirit of discontent when we watch shows that focus on makeovers, renovations and projects that have a staff of 15 to pull them off then claim you could do the same thing on your own in a weekend with just some velcro tape and a bucket of paint?
I’d love to keep thinking about these things with you, and I think there are some things we can all do to help ourselves be happier and more content by limiting ourselves, but I have to go online now and find a better price on a set of decorative pinwheels.
This reminds me of an Orson Welles quote I came across yesterday – “The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.” I would say the same is true of a good life and a pleasant home – without limitations and healthy boundaries, our time and our space gets crowded and meaningless. And our ability to enjoy our own life and material world shrinks. I know – I’ve been there! You’re so right – bargain hunting and DIY projects can be just as unhealthy an obsession as high-priced mall or online shopping.
Julia, you are spot on. I once had a friend that I thought I was close enough with to be able to speak freely. She frequently criticized how other people spent so much on things, but went into great detail about the sweet deals she had gotten on things she bought. I made the mistake of commenting that while many times we approach an abundance of money with suspicion as Christians, people who DON’T have a lot of money can still spend a lot of time focused on it. I believe that focus is what the Bible refers to when it talks about not being able to serve two masters or the love of money is the root of all evil. Well, let’s just say that things were never the same between this friend and me after that. It was too bad, and I was probably way off-sides but I stand by what I said — people who don’t have money can obsess about the NOT having it or saving it (or things or whatever) just as much, if not more, than people who have a lot of money. Oh, I’m going to hear about it now, aren’t I? The key is balance, and I know that is very tricky to find, especially when it keeps needing to be readjusted over time.
I know this isn’t exactly what you were saying, but the whole bargain hunting Do It Yourself project thing really can be a slippery slope. I love a good deal as much as the next shopper, and as a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) I want to make wise decisions about how I use our family’s single income. That said, there are definitely pleasure cortexes being artificially stimulated by bargains that would be better stimulated by a nice walk in the park.
I agree! The “virtue” of frugality can easily become an idol. And just like any idol, people are willing to sacrifice their own and other people’s time, energy, and quality of life in their worship of it. In our search for the perfect deal, we are willing to push other people to work for unfair wages. In choosing low prices over quality products and craftsmanship, we become content with junk and mediocrity, and our cheap, plastic, disposable world depresses us.
I’m all for owning high-quality stuff but less of it, and taking more walks in the park 🙂