Trust to me, ladies, and do not envy a splendor which does not constitute happiness.
Since I excel at envy, I know that it is easy to envy the rich and famous and the beautiful eye candy that drapes from their arms. It is tempting to think that their lives are easy even though history and golfers' wives teach us that money can't buy us love or happiness.
Personally, however, I would like to try throwing money at my problems, just for the experience, just to see if it leaves me feeling empty and hopeless. For example, I would like to throw money at my poison-spitting children problem. I would like to see if owning a house with a master suite the size of Wyoming with an enormous bath that could block out the noise of constant girl yapping would relieve my stress. Likewise, I would like to know if the ability to give a college a new dorm or science lab would make me worry less about my yappy girls' futures.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, Margaret, trust Josephine. She was the empress of France and all her splendor did not constitute happiness. Money will only buy you woe. Be happy with what you have.
You're right, of course. Still, in the name of scientific research, I'd be willing to experiment.
Posts
13 comments:
Loved this post! As for Tiger Woods' wife, if she had wanted love she would not have chosen Tiger! As for the kids, don't you wish you could tell them the elves are watching! I was at Barnes and Noble and they had some video on a loop to sell an elf doll that sits on a shelf and the song the video was playing was, "the elf on the shelf is watching you, the elf on the shelf is watching you...." Can't you just imagine some kid burying that elf doll in the backyard??!
Rufus Wainwright sings "all the diamonds and pearls never could fix the poor little rich girls." Personally I think this is the original pedagogy of the oppressed, a little self pitying humility to fend off the revolution. (Sorry, gettin' highbrow.) Most of our problems appear to be solvable by throwing bushels of money at them. A childhood aspiration of mine has been the ability to buy things without looking at the price tags. All that to say, Margaret, I'm right there with you.
I'd be happy with middle of the road rich maybe I would be able to keep my feet on the ground.Our heads would definitely be above the water line then.
And to never look at a price tag that makes me speechless.Imagine that....wow.I am like a deer in the headlights with that thought.
Rois
A good reminder for today and every day. Good find, wise words.
Plenty of poor people are just as unhappy as rich people. Even more so. And they can't afford therapy. So I think you're right. It would be nice to try the experiment and at least be empirical about it.
Do your daughters read your blog?
Money can't buy happiness, Margaret. But you can sure have fun trying :)
oh no....If I had a choice I'd want riches. I'd lock up the house, pack my bags and go see the world (and I'd be very happy).
I think you inspired me. Or maybe it's because I sat in a Tire store for three hours.
You're rite, of course, MF.
I wish the politician, uh, "our" representatives, wood recognize spending money doesn't bring happiness. Nor solve many of our problems.
In fact, politicians spending actually creates one big problem for their subjects: reduces our take-home pay in our paycks & increases the taxes we pay on the things we buy with our leftover pay.
Enjoying simple pleasures is lovely ~ by the laws of averages, enjoying simple expensive pleasures would be lovely, too.
Yes! Just experimenting, to know... ;)))
Lynne: I want one of those elves. That's hysterical.
Desiree: I'm with you. Money may not buy love, but it gives options to a lot of problems. I like options.
Rois: Middle of the road rich is fine by me. No need to be greedy, but to know that braces do not mean no more bandaids would be good.
Bree: Thanks for the visit!
Petrea: My children are so uninterested in anything I write. Not only do they not read the blog, they run from the blog.
Joanne: I'm all for trying!
PA: I'd go to Bali. How about you?
AH: Tire store? Ugg. Doesn't Bali sound much better than a tire store?
Pup: Gosh. You're getting all political on me. Down boy.
Shell: I like your math.
MIss Havisham: I would put the money in the right places. You know me so well.
Daisy:All in the name of science.
Josephine de Beauharnais of 'not tonight' fame? Wasn't she ditched because the Emperor wanted a son? I guess she knew what she was talking about!
Post a Comment