A gal I work with recently was demoted. Not only has her job drastically changed, her salary went down almost half. This was not a sign of the economic times, but apparently, from the rumors, a result of some poor decisions made professionally.
She is now working on a regular teacher's salary and complains nonstop about paying union dues, and how hard it is to make it on this salary.
The other day she was asking me how come I don't complain about the salary. I told her because I feel like I'm getting paid a fair amount and that I feel blessed to have a job.
She said it must because I don't have kids. I told her I don't think that was it at all, but that I have a different set of priorities than she does.
This gal has always had to purchase name brand everything. She has to have the expensive purses like Coach. And one is not enough. She has to have a different one for each outfit.
She has jewelry and we aren't talking about the reasonable stuff.
And her clothes have all been top of the line, name brand items. Each week it was a pursuit to buy the latest and greatest.
I know she has looked down her nose at my shoes (which are not only reasonable, but comfortable), to my clothes, and especially my purses. OK, I'll admit it, I buy cheap purses. I have two criteria -- they have to have a comfortable shoulder strap and I need to have room for my iPad.
I told her my priorities are far different than hers and I discovered that being satisified with the things I own has made me far happier than always trying to buy the latest and greatest.
She told me she has changed and that her priorities have changed and she didn't buy a purse last weekend, even though she wanted to.
As she said that, she finished paperclipping some papers and the pile she had left, she gathered into her hand and threw them into the garbage.
They may only be paperclips, but I think it shows her character...and I am not buying the priority change. Would you?
They're only paperclips...
November 6th, 2011 at 09:00 pm
November 6th, 2011 at 09:17 pm 1320614243
November 6th, 2011 at 09:43 pm 1320615818
"As she said that, she finished paperclipping some papers and the pile she had left, she gathered into her hand and threw them into the garbage."
I think that says everything. Yikes!
As a reference that may or may not be related, a friend of mine was watching my cat while we were on vacation. She asked us is we needed her to take out our trash. A very innocent comment that probably didn't mean much. But did make me think. Being mindful of our resources, we simply do not generate a lot of trash. The trash is not something I particularly worry about. As far as vacation it was completely non-relevant to me. We might have made sure to empty it the week before we left, if it was full, but I was just thinking, "Um, I think I can go a week or two without a trash pickup."
November 6th, 2011 at 09:46 pm 1320616015
November 6th, 2011 at 11:25 pm 1320621958
All you can do is hope someday she will change
November 6th, 2011 at 11:26 pm 1320621976
It helps to keep the conversation light, sad to learn she is trusted to teach youngsters
November 7th, 2011 at 12:34 am 1320626095
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November 10th, 2011 at 12:01 pm 1320926474