Who are these people we are all trying to keep up with? I hate them. During the summer I never hear from them. My life is simple and I am happy with what I own and the things I am doing. It’s a real life with the Becerra’s and we all love it. We swim in the lake, barbecue, have sleepovers for the girls, take the dogs to the dog park, enjoy the outdoors and basically enjoy what we are so fortunate to have. When school starts, I can’t stop hearing from the Joneses. They start off whispering but by October, it’s Blah, Blah, Blah. I hear about all the fancy trips they took traveling the world, while I traveled Disney World at one of my daughter’s soccer tournaments. I was happy with that trip, until I realized that Spain in Epcot is considered to be a far cry from the Spain in Europe. They are constantly telling me about their new cars and fancy dinners and suddenly I feel like I must be doing something wrong. Personally, I love my truck and Sports Grill wings but before long, I am considering using money I don’t have, just to keep up with them. The Joneses are always having so much fun and their life is so exciting. I swear The Joneses must have a money tree cause they are always on vacation and constantly out to dinner or at a party. They tend to always have some weird profession that no matter how you do the math, doesn’t add up to their life style. These people frustrate and annoy me! These people are ruining my life!
Playoff tickets for thousands, fancy dinners for hundreds, expensive cigars, mortgage size bottles of wine, endless vacations around the world, luxury cars, boats with cabins, houses mansions, the most expensive schools, “the damn Joneses have it all. They make it all look so simple too.”
What happened to the Beanie Babies and the Coach Purses? What happened to the 32" tube TV’s and the latest VCR’s? What happened to the Walkman’s and the Designer Jeans? What happened to the Car of the year or the Restaurant of the month? The Joneses had all these things and now they are chasing all the new things while those old things are forgotten. You know what I have in the summer when Joneses are dormant? I have a real life. I live uninfluenced by the outside pressures of the things the Joneses tell me I need in order to be happy. I have peace of mind. Most importantly, I am living my life as it should be, focusing on the things that truly matter and will never be forgotten. All of us are guilty of blindly following the Joneses without asking why. We can’t change the Joneses but we can change ourselves by simply asking why.
3 comments:
AMEN! You are so right... everything is good in the summer. Then the kids go back to school and I start hearing "Mom - can we go to "The Keys"" Why? Because all there little friends talk about how they were at "the Keys" (usually in their 2nd home or condo) all weekend. I have also been asked if we can go skiing. My 8 year old says "everyone" in his class has an i-Touch. I tell him, either your friends are liars or their parents are out of the their (f'in) minds! (I don't say the f word to him - hahaha - but I think it!)
A few months ago I gave 2 of my daughter's friends a ride home in our 2nd car (I remember when we only had 1 car for the first 5 years of our marriage!). When these girls got in our 10 year old VW Passat wagon, they were like, "Why don;t you buy a new car? Our dad just bought a new car. (a Porsche, mind you). Needless to say I had a few words for them about the fact that some families value MATERIAL things and other don't.
Yeah - you pretty much touched a sore spot for me. It really makes me want to take the kids out of the private school but I really do value the catholic education and I am very happy with the academics. It's those JONSES that ruin it for me.
I hate when I spell "their" wrong. (3rd sentence.)
I figured out that it's really me that ruins it for me. By allowing myself to get caught up in the BS, I become a victim of it. When I ask my self why, is when things settle down in my brain. Why do I want to do or have these things? Do I really want them? Do I think they will bring me a sense of fulfillemt? Wh ywas I not bothered before about not having them? When I ask myself these questions, it becomes clear that I am just another sheep being led to slaughter. I snap out of it, step out of line, and go back to grazing on the grass I love.
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