This Is A Message From God. I Know It.
I lost my wallet. With my ID, all of my credit cards, my Visa check card, and about 20 gift cards. See, I'm notorious for not using gift cards for like forever and now they're all gone. I had one to JCrew, one to Old Navy, one to the Mall, one to Starbucks...I would go on, but I don't want to cry.
Fuck. I am so pissed. I have looked everywhere. In the cars, around the house, in my pockets. I've called around to places I've recently visited. Nothing.
It's gone.
So today I spent the whole day canceling all of my credit cards, making a DMV appointment to get a new ID, and putting a fraud alert on my credit report. Fun times.
I just know that after all of this I'm going to find it somewhere really random, like behind the toilet or something. At least, that is my hope. My hope is that this is all Little Guy's fault and that he stashed it somewhere and that someday I will find it. Yesterday, when I asked him if he has seen it he said, "yes, it's outside!" jumped up from the couch and ran outside. I followed him out there and he promptly handed me a basketball, saying, "Here it is!" Great.
So, I think this whole wallet ordeal is a message from God. God is telling me to STOP SHOPPING. Yeah, with less than 30 days to Christmas and a helluva lot of presents still to buy, I now have no credit cards to use. Not the best time to deliver the message, but here it is. And I am ready to hear it. It is actually reinforcing something in me that I have been thinking a LOT about lately and that is - how much waste I contribute to our landfills, how much I buy that I really don't need, how much disposable junk I use that ends up in the garbage that will take 1000 years to biodegrade. It makes me feel guilty. It makes me feel sick like when I eat way too much cake. It tastes good at the time, but after eating it, I really regret it.
And there's nothing like Christmastime to reflect on this kind of stuff. This year, I actually set out to buy less presents altogether and not fall into the consumer trap of Christmas, but that is a whole post in and of itself. I will say that, incidentally, I lost my wallet on a shopping trip to buy presents for a family that I'm adopting for Christmas. It's just a mom and her son. On their shopping list? Clothes, blankets, and a tricycle. The blanket thing really got to me. Some people don't even have blankets to stay warm. There is something wrong with that. The other thing that got to me is that the woman in need is 30 years old and her son is 3. I am 30 years old too, and my son is 2. I don't even know her, but I felt an immediate connection just due to our ages. I bought a bunch of stuff for her - blankets, warm clothes for her son, a sweater and robe for her, a new trike, and a grocery gift card. The sad thing is that it's probably just a drop in the bucket of what they actually need. It was actually sometime right after that shopping trip that I lost my wallet. I am taking it as a sign that that was really the last thing I needed to buy for Christmas.
Anyway, the sudden loss of my entire wallet with all my credit cards sucks, but I am taking it as a positive message from the universe, which really relates to something that I have been slowly realizing over the past few months. I want to live my life differently. I want to consume a lot less. I want to figure out how to make better, safer, healthier choices when I do buy things. I want to eat more naturally, find organic/natural/local food sources not just for produce, but also for meat and dairy. I want to stop using plastic altogether. And there is more, but I will stop there.
So I guess a "thank you" is in order. Thank you God for telling me that I am on the right track with my feelings of becoming a more conscious consumer.
Just please don't let anyone find my wallet and start opening credit in my name. Cuz I don't think I could forgive you for that one.
**********
On a related note, if you are looking for a really great charitable gift-giving opportunity, check out the Original Really Useful Gift Catalog. This is a reputable charity organization with lots of great donation opportunities.
Fuck. I am so pissed. I have looked everywhere. In the cars, around the house, in my pockets. I've called around to places I've recently visited. Nothing.
It's gone.
So today I spent the whole day canceling all of my credit cards, making a DMV appointment to get a new ID, and putting a fraud alert on my credit report. Fun times.
I just know that after all of this I'm going to find it somewhere really random, like behind the toilet or something. At least, that is my hope. My hope is that this is all Little Guy's fault and that he stashed it somewhere and that someday I will find it. Yesterday, when I asked him if he has seen it he said, "yes, it's outside!" jumped up from the couch and ran outside. I followed him out there and he promptly handed me a basketball, saying, "Here it is!" Great.
So, I think this whole wallet ordeal is a message from God. God is telling me to STOP SHOPPING. Yeah, with less than 30 days to Christmas and a helluva lot of presents still to buy, I now have no credit cards to use. Not the best time to deliver the message, but here it is. And I am ready to hear it. It is actually reinforcing something in me that I have been thinking a LOT about lately and that is - how much waste I contribute to our landfills, how much I buy that I really don't need, how much disposable junk I use that ends up in the garbage that will take 1000 years to biodegrade. It makes me feel guilty. It makes me feel sick like when I eat way too much cake. It tastes good at the time, but after eating it, I really regret it.
And there's nothing like Christmastime to reflect on this kind of stuff. This year, I actually set out to buy less presents altogether and not fall into the consumer trap of Christmas, but that is a whole post in and of itself. I will say that, incidentally, I lost my wallet on a shopping trip to buy presents for a family that I'm adopting for Christmas. It's just a mom and her son. On their shopping list? Clothes, blankets, and a tricycle. The blanket thing really got to me. Some people don't even have blankets to stay warm. There is something wrong with that. The other thing that got to me is that the woman in need is 30 years old and her son is 3. I am 30 years old too, and my son is 2. I don't even know her, but I felt an immediate connection just due to our ages. I bought a bunch of stuff for her - blankets, warm clothes for her son, a sweater and robe for her, a new trike, and a grocery gift card. The sad thing is that it's probably just a drop in the bucket of what they actually need. It was actually sometime right after that shopping trip that I lost my wallet. I am taking it as a sign that that was really the last thing I needed to buy for Christmas.
Anyway, the sudden loss of my entire wallet with all my credit cards sucks, but I am taking it as a positive message from the universe, which really relates to something that I have been slowly realizing over the past few months. I want to live my life differently. I want to consume a lot less. I want to figure out how to make better, safer, healthier choices when I do buy things. I want to eat more naturally, find organic/natural/local food sources not just for produce, but also for meat and dairy. I want to stop using plastic altogether. And there is more, but I will stop there.
So I guess a "thank you" is in order. Thank you God for telling me that I am on the right track with my feelings of becoming a more conscious consumer.
Just please don't let anyone find my wallet and start opening credit in my name. Cuz I don't think I could forgive you for that one.
**********
On a related note, if you are looking for a really great charitable gift-giving opportunity, check out the Original Really Useful Gift Catalog. This is a reputable charity organization with lots of great donation opportunities.
posted by Cristina @12:55 PM
14 Comments:
OMG, I know this feeling.
I feel nauseous on your behalf. Shit.
Never fun. Good luck w/ your new endeavor of buying less stuff.
Oh no! Not good. But good on you for adopting a family. I've been trying to do this myself but am having a hard time finding an organization.
That STINKS! So sorry!
My women's club adopts a local family and normally I organize a toy drive for the Christmas Store but JEEZ LOUIZE I have not got my act together this year!
I do hope you find your wallet...just for peace of ind and gift cards.
P.S. For Mrs. Chicky and others who are wondering...our best resource for finding a local family in need has always been the local public schools. We check with the elementary and intermediate and usually find a family with kids who span all age ranges. I consider the ISDs to be a pretty reliable source of information. And they've always lead us to the greatest people.
Also check with the Catholic Church or St. Vincent de Paul Society for wish lists.
Or other denomination equivalent. Sorry.
Julie
Using My Words
There's a new web site I found called locallygrown.net. It's an internet co-op for farmers in different geographic areas. It has just started, so there aren't that many areas on there yet, but it lists many more that are on their way. You basically order everything from produce to eggs to meat from cows, goats, pigs, etc. on the site, then pick it all up in person at a pre-determined location. Everything sold on the site is produced by farmers in the local market. It's an interesting concept, and I've signed up to try it in my area.
Oh man. Check the washer. Or the dryer. That's where we always find ours.
Mrs. Chicky, I found this Adopt a Family program through the Catholic Diocese in my city. As Julie said, perhaps there are other denomination equivalents with similar programs.
Student of Life, thank you for the tip! The other site I found that is good for finding local farms that sell produce, etc. is localharvest.org
I think this is your best post yet (but I haven't been reading since the beginning, so call me biased in a "late-coming" sort of way). Amen. Done shopping for the year because you lost your credit cards. Sounds like it's time for you and little guy to start making sugar cookies, and popcorn garland for the birds, and a mess in the kitchen, and all the good memories that come with it. (I have a great recipe for icing that says "use your finger to spread the icing" if you'd like!)
I know it sucks, it does. But it takes a good person to see the bigger picture, and honey, you're gazing.
Oh, and pick up a copy of the Hundred Dollar Holiday at the library for a quick read and to reinforce what you already know.
Happy Holidays!
I don't think your buying for an adopted family was the Shopping Straw on the Camel's back. I think you're doing a good thing helping a family in need.
I agree that cutting down on the consumerism is something to consider and I have been considering my own useage myself in the last couple weeks, since Sarcastic Journalist changed her blog to The Simple Family which chronicles her efforts to make her household greener.
I think there's a line between helping your fellow human and helping the environment that unfortunately doesn't always agree. However, I think that your buying for an adopted family is not contributing to consumerism if you're buying things that the family needs. Blankets and a trike for the child are not going to bring down the atmosphere. Sure, every little bit helps, but that child deserves a childhood, too.
I hope you find your wallet. I'd be less aggravated about the credit card hassle than about losing the gift cards. That hurts.
Andrea
Oh god! I am so sorry. That sucks right before Christmas. Hopefully some nice person finds it and returns it.
you're awesome, C. I was reading and thinking, oh, I hope she links to a site about where she found out how to adopt a family. and, bam. at the bottom. there it is.
also? you. you amaze me. you lose your wallet, and instead of rightfully being crazy-upset, you discuss your assistance for others. I love you.
and the thing about the wallet SUCKS out loud. :( I really hope you're right and little mister hid it for a rainy day. gah.
xoxo
Yuck, Yuck, Yuck. I'm so sorry!
Yes, I think of this too... all the time. I'm so glad you helped that family. You gotta read Dave Ramsey's books. it ties in... sorta.
But I guess you gotta go to the library, since you don't have any money.
Sorry.
OMGosh, I don't even know what I'd do if I lost my lifeline, I mean wallet. *huge hugs*
I really admire your adopting a family, though, and am happy to see others doing it, too.
Love what Sarah said to do. Amen to that!
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