Life is conflict, it’s that simple. What you want to do and what you should do are very different things. And not just different, direct opposites is the more likely case.
What you want to do is throw caution to the wind; what you should do is resist the urge. So I was doing exactly that, but with the surly attitude of a teenager. Here’s the problem: I found a pair of shoes online and I badly, desperately wanted them on my feet. They were neither impractical (versatile, actually) nor expensive (under $60), but this isn’t the time to be buying luxuries. I’m stuck in a repair and replace mode at the moment.
First, it was tires. Then the cellphone. Now the suspension’s gone kablooie on the car. All told, I’m facing a 4-figure deficit, a vast amount of money for someone with my meager resources. Kicky shoes don’t crossover to the necessity column. I tried. Doesn’t work. I pouted and moved on, but never forgot. I wanted the damn shoes.
So I visited them online whenever I had a chance. I’d go through the motions: oohing and aahing, selecting the color and size, but stopped short of ‘add to cart.’ It offered a small measure of joy until I saw the dreaded ‘only 3 pairs in stock.’ At that point, my little visits became fraught with tension and futility. It was hopeless and I knew it; I couldn’t justify new shoes. Not now. And by the time I’m flush again, they’ll be long gone.
Oh, hello, what’s this? A fortune cookie? What does it say?
It says my new, extravagant shoes will be delivered Tuesday. Along with a guilty conscience and a whole bunch of remorse. Let this be a lesson to you and don’t listen to fortune cookies. They will surely lead you astray.
copyright © 2017 the whirly girl
the whirly girl 
8 responses to “: fortune cookie as enabler :”
Bless you for choosing to get the shoes. (I am also a sucker for shoes.)
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They were the very last pair in my size. I weighed my options and figured a week of baked potatoes was a small price to pay, but I underestimated. Baked potatoes are dreary day after day after day … bleah
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Yeah, but what they don’t tell you is that that fortune was “sponsored”…
By your friendly, neighborhood shoe store…
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Why those dirty, lowdown … how dare they!
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Ahhh…!
The, um… shoe is on the other foot…
👠
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Oooh, I like those. Wait, are you trying to torment me? Is that it?
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I never get a great fortune cookie like that. Mine always say things like “prepare for the worse and expect it”.
On another note, I’ve been doing with a hat what you did with the shoes. I’m in the same boat financially and I found this hat I wanted so bad. My biggest problem was that I couldn’t decide on the color. Two hats sat in the “shopping cart” for a week. When I finally checked out I had instant buyers remorse.
I bought them both!
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Two? Yay, good for you! I mean it, in the end our reckless spending won’t matter one whit. But in the present, we’ll at least look good while we kick ourselves. Where does one purchase self-restraint, by the way?
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