Friday, January 25, 2008

Needful things

I have thought a lot about what I really NEED. Society pressures us to consider many of our ‘wants’ as bona fide NEEDS. But what is the truth? What are the physical things that I, in my time and place, really NEED? This is my list….

I NEED warm, hole-free socks. This is partly because I don’t need a thermostat set above ‘barely tolerable’ and I don’t need carpeting. However, I also don’t need frostbite. Therefore, the warm socks are necessary.

I NEED beautiful clothing. I’ve struggled with this one a lot; it seems frivolous at best, selfish at worst. But I don’t need a lot of beautiful clothes; just a few, enough that I can have some self-respect and enjoyment out of my wardrobe. After all, we are told to ‘consider the lilies, which neither toil nor spin, but Solomon in all his splendor was not dressed so well.’

I NEED to have a variety of foods, including chocolate. This is obviously something that would not be needed if I was dying of starvation. But good food is available to us here in America, reasonably priced and easily accessible. It is right for us to appreciate our bounty.

I NEED to be able to go out once in awhile, either for a whole meal or just a cup of coffee. This is part of the rest that God commanded us. Housewives don’t get vacation or sick days (in case you didn’t notice) and eating out is one of our only ways of taking time off.

I NEED things for the general maintenance and upkeep of the house. We need to take care of the things God gives us.

I NEED things that have to do with my own well-being…vitamins, eye-glasses, gloves, and so forth. Again, I need to take care of the things God gives me.

I NEED coffee. No explanation necessary.

And things I don’t need? Cable tv. Beautiful furniture. Landscaping. Knick-knacks. New appliances. More jewelry (that’s a hard one, I love jewelry. I also own a bunch already). New cd’s and books (ouch, that one is painful too.) A bigger TV set (already have a big one, which is a bit of an embarrassment anyways). A nicer car. New bookshelves (as much as I want them). More kitchen gadgets. Fancy haircuts. Weight-loss equipment. Loads of insurance. And about a million more items that are relentlessly sold to us in clever and enticing ways, all with the implied promises of eternal happiness and sexual gratification with every purchase.

1 comment:

On a fools hope said...

Yes we seem to remind ourselves on a weekly basis of what we need and most often the tings we start out needing end up in the want pile. But all this talk about needs reminds me I need to make coffee and lots of strong coffee at that. I didn't get to sleep until almost
4 am and dawn didn't wait for me to catch up on sleep.
The ice cream was deliious!