Monday, January 31, 2011

Read to feel better about yourself

This weekend was one of irony.

I'm a very thrifty person. I could say cheap, but that has negative connotations. I like this trait about myself, so we're gonna go with thrifty. The word is even more appropriate because the weekend I finally decided to truly commit to my "thrift store pledge:" I, Danielle Gehman, being of sound mind and body, do pledge to shop for "new" clothes solely at second-hand stores, in so far as that's possible, for one entire year. (Of course, for some things it ain't possibly. And Lima has no second-hand stores that I know of.) I was proud of myself for resisting a whole heap of things I wanted to buy when my mom and I went shopping on Saturday.


That's not the pathetic part. Later after all that carefulness, also on Saturday, I was cleaning out a drawer in which I typically put papers and things, and I found a check, void and uncashed from a job I worked in 2007. This is the face I used when I took it back to the store to beg for mercy and was hardheartedly rejected:

I don't want to discuss the amount. You can probably see it if you click on the picture. Let's just say that in my a minimum wage job it took me a couple weeks to make this. I would like to pretend this is an isolated incident, but I'm infamous in my family and among my friends for losing/ forgetting things.

I tried cheering myself up with things like, "Think how blessed you must be that the fact that that check wasn't cashed didn't mean a bill unpaid or a child unfed."

It didn't work very well.

Then I went to the thrift store and bought these pair of Converse for 4 bucks:


But I still feel only slightly consoled.

Of course, tales of stupid things that you've done might cheer me up....

9 comments:

  1. Aaack! I feel your pain girl, for I, indeed, have done the same. That, and failing to complete mail-in rebates within the required time. Doesn't that just kill ya?! Ugh. (I've gotta get me a better filing system.)

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  2. aww, there there...

    It's hard to see the bright side at times buut you're still young. You're smart, pretty and funny. There are tons of blessings on the way for you!

    massive hug

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  3. I have two words for you. Direct. Deposit.

    Seriously, how could they resist the sad face?

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  4. Let me first start of saying that I did not solely read this post to feel better about myself. I read it because I love your blog :(. Bummer on the check...but at least you found some rocking 4 dollar converse! Keep us updated on your thrift store finds.

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  5. I, too, have made this same mistake. It's such a bummer!
    But... a "new" pair of shoes has never failed to console me. : )

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  6. That's what you get for cleaning out drawers...if you had not cleaned out the drawer you would not have found the check. Obviously your world didn't crash because of one uncashed pay check. Hopefully this will be a learning experience. If it makes you feel any better I have found uncashed checks, birthday money, gift cards and the list goes on in one of my sons rooms (the son who is a good kid but a bit scatter brained at times kinda like an absent minded professor)at various times when the dust, dirt and clutter has gotten to be too much for Mom.

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  7. I've done a LOT of stupid things in my life.........Let's see......I once swallowed a watch battery......I lost a twenty dollar bill because it flew out of my pocket while I was trying to cross a road I definitely should not have been crossing (especially since I was like 10 - AND at 10 years old $20 is like $2,000)......I seem to remember losing TWO different ATM cards in Peru.....and a cell phone (but I guess you do have me beat on the list of things that disappeared in Peru).......I tried to take a plastic apple with me to PUCP for lunch time......and then there were the many times that I talked to random strangers and potential rapists in the streets of Lima.......hmmmmmm.......I'll let you know if I come up with any better ones.

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  8. Hey Dani....believe me when I say you're not the only one who's forgetful...it's alright, girl.

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