Startling revelation

I had a strange moment Sunday morning. I meant to blog about it yesterday, but I got distracted by Opening Day. Anyway, back to Sunday ...

Each week I look forward to the Sunday newspapers (I get Huntsville and Decatur). It's not that either one is a great paper (though the HSV Times is not bad), but I just love spending a few hours going through the Sunday papers. I get to read editorials, op-eds, and letters to the editor that fill me with a sense of brotherhood or enrage me to the point where I'd like to track down the writer and cut his heart out with a spoon (Robin Hood reference, Ang)! On top of all that, I take the time to read the little small stories that seem to show up every week -- a random AP spot about a dog in Denver calling 911 when his master's house caught on fire or something like that. Ooh, and the Decatur paper does a "years ago" thing on Sunday where they run highlights from 75, 50, 25, and 10 years ago. One week I saw how, in 1930, some house on Bank Street had been ticketed for something like "congregating after 10:00 p.m." or some similarly egregious offense. Regardless, I love the Sunday papers.

As I go through the papers each week, I save the "sale papers" for the very end. I toss the furniture store circulars, the Parisian papers, and most of the grocery and drug store ads, but I hoard the offerings from Dick's Sporting Goods, Target, Sears, all the computer/office places, Best Buy, etc. Though I KNOW I won't be going on a major spree, I always enjoy going through the ads and finding the best deals, comparing the various options, seeing who has the best installation/delivery offerings, etc. This week, though, I came to a startling revelation: the papers were doing nothing for me. I had no sense of excitement, no tingle when I looked at the printers, no longing for the latest outdoors gadget. Nothing! That's when I realized I DON'T WANT ANYTHING! Now I know that's not literally true. I wouldn't turn my nose up at world peace, a plasma TV, or the ability to hit a curveball, but I can't think of a thing I'd just like to rush out and buy.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not swearing off consumerism or making myself out to be somehow "above" all that. I'm not signing on to one of those movements I've been reading about where people have vowed not to buy anything other than food, medicine, gas, etc. for a year. Keep in mind that I did just buy a Jeep and I know something will catch my eye before long. No, I just don't want anything right now. I can't accurately describe why this disconcerted me, but the fact is it did. On the one hand I have the urge to go all Emerson and write up an essay; on the other I want to pull a Nanci Griffith and fill my suitcase with cheap plastic trinkets from Woolworth's.

Aw heck, I think I'll just get to work on my "back in my day speech" that will firmly ensconce me as an old coot, old far beyond my actual years. Heck, maybe I can just hire someone to write it for me!