Delusions and Resolutions
/I can read and toast the New Year at the same time with this Champagne flute – it's printed with a quote from The Great Gatsby.
Happy New Year! To be honest, I found some holiday milestones tougher than expected this year – when I went Christmas shopping at the mall I used to go to with my mom, I had to sit down for a little crying jag – but so far I’m pretty excited about the arrival of 2016.
Before saying goodbye to last year, I did some thinking about how I’ve changed since I started Shopping for Happiness. I’ll be writing about these revelations in the days ahead, but first I'll mention one interesting, somewhat alarming development.
On my trip to the mall, I bought a Vince sweater from Holt Renfrew. I put it in my closet, still in its bag. About four days later, I looked in my closet and thought “Hmm, Holt Renfrew bag. What’s in that?”
I had actually forgotten buying a $140 top. Wow. Had it really taken just four months to turn me from someone who cherishes every precious purchase into someone who tosses pricy things in a closet, unopened?
To some degree I can chalk up my forgetfulness to the insane blur of the holidays, when I was more focused on finding presents for others than boosting my own wardrobe. But still, it gave me pause. I don’t think I would have forgotten about a new item of clothing four months ago.
My guess is that a few things are going on here. After investing in some great clothes (see them all here) I’m simply not as desperate as I used to be for something decent to wear. I can actually get dressed without scouring my closet hoping for a miracle.
Looking a little deeper, I’ll admit, with some sadness, that I might be less excited about my purchases because I'm less idealistic (or deluded) about their significance. The past few months have shown me that however terrific new clothes make me feel, they won’t totally transform my life on their own.
I’ve got to do that job myself.
So that's my resolution for 2016. Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!
