Humble Pie

I bought a sewing machine on Christmas Eve, and I was especially excited because not only did I have a 10% off coupon, it was on sale for $69.99!

Except when I looked at my receipt today, the price was listed as $89.99. WTF? I felt a surge of righteous indignation well up within me. I was screwed out of twenty bucks by Target!

I had to make a return anyways, so I drove to the Target by my house - which is not the Target at which I purchased the sewing machine - only to find out, OF COURSE, that I would need to go to the Pasadena East Target to get information on the sale price. (It was specific to the store, not in the flyer.)

Still seething, I drove to the other Target and went to the sewing machines to confirm that I had seen the sign. And I had! It was $69.99. FROM DECEMBER 21-24. Of course, the sign was up when I bought it, and California law requires merchants to sell the item at the lowest posted price, even if there's an expiration date listed. (God, how do I know these things?)

I was seriously considering standing in line and asking for my $20 refund until I overheard a woman and a man talking in the next aisle. It was clear to me I was listening to the middle of a conversation, but it shamed me nonetheless, because I heard the woman say, "You're at Target just looking for something to buy? I can't even imagine that. That must be like, like, some sort of HOLIDAY. Wow."

And I realized...I do that. I walk into Target with some minor thing I need, and walk out $200 lighter. I wander the music and books sections hoping that something will jump out at me. Sure, I tend to look for things on sale, but spending $12 just because I want to do so is a luxury - a small luxury for me, but it's not for a lot of people. Probably for most people.

I forget sometimes how lucky I am. I never want for anything, other than in the sense of lustful desire for things I don't actually need (a Wii, a bigger kitchen, a Vespa, Christian Bale). I never suffer from hunger; I never shiver from cold because I don't have heat or adequate clothing; I never want for a warm and comfortable bed in which to sleep.

In the grand scheme of things, I am a fortunate daughter of the gods. I'm going to work hard to remember that this year.