Superiority and Materialism

I have talked big talk, regarding my new job in retail.  I have snubbed and looked on with disdain as people had transactions totally $300, $400, $500.  In fact, today I reached 280% of my selling goal.  That's 180% over my goal for the day.  And I opened up two credit card accounts, which seemed to create a bit of a big deal.

But I'm finding the atmosphere so foreign, so mind boggling, and a bit disorienting.  Makeup.  Jewelry. Microwaves.  Designer jeans.  There seems to be no end of choices.  I recall my friend Rose's reaction to shopping in a Walmart.  Rose is from Kenya.  Walmart was a foreign country to her.  She could not fathom the amount of choices--different kinds of milk??  An aisle full of sodas??  3 aisles full of medicines for every ailment??  So I've thought of my friend Rose today, and wondered what her reaction was when she was taken to an American Mall?

However, I am slightly disgusted with myself, here at the end of this long day.  Because, as the day wore on, there was a distinct change in my mindframe.  The hours dragged by, and I found myself thinking "Hmmmm.  Wow, that's a great price for that griddle, maybe I should purchase one."  What??  I don't even cook!!!!  "Hmmmm,  an extra set of towels at that price would be fantastic.  And I can use the $9.00 bonus I received today for opening two accounts!"  What??  We don't need any more towels!!

So tonight I am, as I usually do, reexamining my motives, reevaluating my mind.  And I've come to this conclusion:

Both attitudes today were and are wrong.  Obviously wrong is the pull to purchase things that I do not need.  I must not let materialism seep into my financials.  But equally wrong is the disdain I had in the early morning hours, of those purchasing vast amounts of items.  That disdain was born out of pride and self-righteousness.  It wasn't out of concern for these people seeking to possibly fill a hole in their soul through the spending of money.  No, it was an attitude of superiority that didn't become evident until time seemed to slow down and I, too found myself thinking "If I bought that griddle, it would make me happy because the price is low and I could cook eggs on it."  I'm not going to cook any eggs.  And certainly not on a griddle.

Art Buchwald once said "The best things in life aren't things."

And Mark Twain, someone I've read about lately, had this to say about the attitude of superiority:

"There it is: it doesn't make any difference who we are or what we are, there's always somebody to look down on somebody to hold in light esteem, somebody to be indifferent about."


I don't want to be that person who holds others in light esteem.