A follow up to yesterday’s blog. My wife wanted me to write about my new sneakers and I opted to publicly confess that I re-use Dunkin Donut cups.
Walking around my neighborhood last night, I sensed something damp and gritty rubbing against my socks. The problem was a tear in my sneakers that I discovered about two months ago. It had finally ripped all the way through and sand was working its way in as I walked.
When I first noticed the tear I was sitting in the bleachers with my wife and about a dozen other parents watching my son play baseball. I loudly pointed out the rip and asked my wife if I now “qualified” for a new pair. I admit it was rude and an attempt to embarrass her but it is part of this phase I’m going through. I feel like most of the money we earn gets spent on my sons. In my mind, my wife spends most of the rest on herself and very little seems to trickle down to yours truly. As I see it, my sons seem to get new $100 sneakers regularly while I’m still wearing two-year-old Reeboks that cost me less than $40.
When we got home my wife told me I was out of line and got busy trying to find me new sneakers online. When that failed, she headed out to run some errands and returned with two new pair of Reeboks. I like to buy two pair at a time, one for show and one for chores and exercise. I tried them on, put them back in the box and placed them in the back room, vowing to wear them the next day.
Here is where the story gets strange. Two months later they remain in the box. I have this thing about parting with sneakers, clothing and other items. My wife buys replacements, but then I just can’t seem to actually use them. My home laptop sat in its box for about a year. I insisted I needed a new DVD player three years ago and only took it out of the box several months ago. (I still regret getting rid of the old one. In my mind it worked better.) I just started using a new radio I received for Christmas. There is a coffee maker sitting in my basement that I received for Christmas about five years ago.
I realize I need to replace things that are old and worn and not working properly, but I feel a strange attachment to objects like sneakers, DVD players and computers. Parting with them feels like parting with someone I’ve known for a long time and grown used to.
Since my wife considers herself an expert shopper, this strange habit is an insult to her purchasing prowess. She thinks she bought me some great sneakers at a great price after I complained publicly. Seeing them unopened two months later is annoying at best.
I think feeling the sand on my socks made me realize that my sneakers have given all they can give. I’ll keep you posted. Let me know what you think.
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2 comments:
I think your problem may be universal among men. I thought Don was the only male I knew with attachment issues. The two of you should talk.
I could write a very long list of old, broken or partially broken things that he has kept for sentimental reasons. For the sake of brevity, I'll name a few: radios, tv's, clothes, papers. He has his own rather large section in the basement for this purpose.
I am the opposite. Since I manage the house, I try to live as clutter free as possible. If something is broken and can't be fixed, it goes to the garbage. If I haven't used or worn something in years, it goes for donation.
The material things I am usually attached to are pictures and my boys' schoolwork/art.
I don't think you will change. However, you definitely shouldn't go in public with torn sneakers, especially as Executive Editor...wear your new ones!!!!
P.S. I'm sure they make less expensive sneakers for teens. I realize image and brand names are important to teens, but since they grow out of everything so quickly, it doesn't make sense to spend so much money on one pair of sneakers. I'd reserve the purchase of a $100 pair of sneakers for birthdays or Christmas....or perhaps they need to earn it---somewhere along the way they need to learn that money doesn't actually grow on trees.
Ralph - I am the same way with old T Shirts. I have all sorts of new shirts the wife bought but she wants to know why I am wearing one from 4 years ago, with tears in it. Probably because I am amazed it could still fit...
Kid's toys too. During Spring cleaning Sue went to throw out a bunch of old toys. There on the top of the pile was Woody from "Toy Story". I snapped at her, "Are you kidding? Didn't you even SEE the movie?!?! Geez". She thinks I am nuts.
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