2 Adults 2 Kids » Change

Conspicuous Consumption (KJ)

KJ — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 12:57:16 +0000

Viking brand ranges are the top-selling high-end ovens in the country. I’ve drooled over them once or twice in my life. Did you know that 75% of them go unused?? I personally draw a parallel with my own possessions. I’ve got a ton of clothes and I’m so sad because I can’t fit them ALL into the RV, but I probably don’t wear 75% of them. It’s also possible that I don’t use 75% of the stuff in my apartment. Do you want to know what opened my eyes?

It was “The Invisible Badge – Moving Past Conspicuous Consumption”, a manifesto from ChangeThis.com. The author hits the nail on the head about buying things to impress others, or buying things as an expression of who we wish we were. I am completely guilty of this. I always feel that I have to let people know that I live in Brooklyn because I want to save money not because I’m broke. (Although technically, now I am broke.)

The reading made me realize that I do not need most of those clothes and I do not need most of my “stuff”. As I complete my transition from apartment living to RV living I will keep this article in mind. If you have 7 minutes, you should read the manifesto here.

Daily Wisdom: It doesn’t matter who else can “see” who you are. What matters is that you know. ~Rob Walker

If you have the time, let me know what you think about the piece.

The Unasked Question (KJ)

KJ — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:52:07 +0000

As you all know as we get closer and closer to picking up our RV I’m freaking out more and more. A couple is coming to pick up the last of our couches today and I dragged myself out of bed to get dressed. Then out of the blue a thought hit me; no one has ever asked us this question:

Have we ever RV’d before?

Maybe that’s a good thing because the answer is — No! It’s true, I haven’t been camping since ‘99 and I have never overnighted in an RV. The same goes for CM. I just wanted to put that out there for those who think that we’re outdoorsy people who like to live off the land. Nope!

We’re just two crazy kids with a dream.

“Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway” (KJ)

KJ — Fri, 30 May 2008 23:47:25 +0000

That’s the name of the book I bought when I was trying to be a better Mary Kay salesperson. I never finished it, but I see it on the book shelf from time to time and I think about reading.

I’ve been thinking about fear a lot lately. We just watched “Apocalypto” the other night and a major theme was not letting fear control you. That being said, I am FREAKING OUT about the big move! Some guy came and took away my computer monitors this morning, so I feel like there’s no turning back at this point. I mean, why stay at the apartment if I don’t have my computer?? But what am I going to do in an RV without it??

I’m just going to put it all of my fears out there:
– I’m scared of being robbed
– I’m scared that someone’s going to break a window in order to rob me
– I’m scared of being bored out of my mind
– I’m scared that I am going to be too scared to leave the RV unattended
– I’m scared that gas is going to hit $10 a gallon before I get to take my kids to all of the places I want them to see.
– I’m scared that if someone (*looking at CM*) goes #2 then it’s going to spread throughout the RV and we won’t be able to get the smell out!

Okay, the first and last ones are my biggest fears, but I can’t let that control me. I really want to do something different with my life while I’m young enough to bounce back if it doesn’t work out.

I’ve got to feel the fear and do it anyway….