Haven't Met You Yet

Nope, I haven't met you yet.

But if you come across this, and a ranch-style, pottery barn/restoration house and a kitchen full of Williams Sonoma's finest, along with me in a white towel rings a bell, we should probably meet soon... because we'll have to start saving for the next couple decades to actually get that stuff. I'm just looking for a decent, warm, comfortable place... not crazy ornate/ostentatious or whatever. And I love eating (and must cook to eat) more than most other things in life, which is why I could spend a life's savings at Williams Sonoma.

But that's not what I'm here to talk about. In fact, it's kinda funny I should start my post off like that. So maybe I should be clear: My parents are divorced. One makes a lot of money, and the other makes a very modest amount. The things that I value in a home can be present regardless of the amount of money being brought in or can be absent no matter how much money there is. I value warmth, safety, emotional nourishment (haha and physical... seriously, I love eating so much), which is why my wish-list starts there, although those companies do not have a monopoly on those core values.

Does that make sense? In short, I promise I'm not as materialistic as I'm coming off...

Screeching brakes, squealing tires, change of direction.

Because my dad just got back from a trip to Haiti. He was going through the pictures (so. many.) from the trip. This sounds super cliché or whatever, but as he was going through it, I was actually looking at what the quality of life was there. I mean, the earthquake certainly didn't help anything out, but these people had very little to begin with. I mean, when I was a kid, I built forts nicer than some of their houses. At the same time, they weren't wandering around, sad-faced and downtrodden because of the long list of things that they didn't have.

And me? I'm worrying about working for the company that is going to compensate me the best, taking for granted the fact that I will be hired by someone and won't have to worry about food, shelter--the necessities. Me and Haiti have a very different list of wants; granted, Haiti also has needs that should be filled. But, in the way of wants, checking off the things on that list would only lead to filling those blank spaces with a new set of wants.

The point? Maybe I should wait to check Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma of the list because I'm afraid of what's going to take their places.

As for Haiti, I'm inspired by their capacity to adapt and find happiness, even in the bleakest of circumstances.