Can a fulfilling Life Include Instant Gratification?

It's a question I've asked myself quite a few times recently. See, I grew up in your standard middle-class home, with little-to-no expendable allowance. My mother never scoured the mall's many racks for expensive clothes for her children (thankfully). Even when I did finally get a job to pay for newly acquired auto insurance (which is so fucking expensive WHY??), I never felt it necessary to wear anything other than pajama pants to class every day.

As the months have gone by I've made a move-- and got a good job this time around. I actually have expendable income, even after paying my bills. The one thing I've found is that now I want things. I've started caring about the clothes I wear, and the kind of car I'd like to drive. I want to eat at expensive restaurants, and I pay circa $150 to get my hair colored and cut at one of the top salons in my area. Don't get me wrong, I don't actually have a car, my hair gets a discount of sorts, and the things I have I've paid modest prices for.

I don't know what it is, but I feel guilty for wanting these things sometimes. I mean, really what is life about? I should be living a humble life-- in a box-- wondering about the world and its meaning! I should be chasing my dreams to Europe, take nothing but a notebook and a knife to spill out a novel in my own blood, and then go to some third world country to dedicate my life to helping the less-fortunate. RIGHT? Wanting things is for the mindless consumers in the capitalistic mindfuck called society, right?? I now hang my head, and crawl up into a corner with my writhing ball of designer shoe-loving shame-- and drink some Starbucks.

The conclusion that I've come to is you cant be happy and be living the life of a self-righteous all-giving bastard who is constantly preaching "fuck the man!" Does that mean run out and spend a year's earnings on a PS3? No, because they suck. You should rather spend a fraction of the cost and buy a wii, because Nintendo makes far better products (can we say Dr. Mario??).

At any rate, to celebrate instant gratification, I'm going to construct a top 10 list-- of the things I would buy if I had an endless supply of money to do so. Enjoy, and remember this could be a perfect way to Christmas shop for yours truly ;)

10. Dream Phone $30
This makes the list because I never had this game as a kid. My best friend did, and I *begged* my mother for it. She wouldn't buy it because she didn't like the idea of me owning a dating game. I got in enough trouble beating poor defenseless crushes up on the playground. I did, however, own both Mall Madness and Ask Zandar, so obviously she thought racking up credit card debt and un-Christian paranormal belief systems were okay.

9. Zarafina Tea Maker Suite $150
Why, do you ask, that I want a tea pot and some cups for $150? Because they're fucking beautiful, and yes, I do want my tea brewed to perfection. Also, just to let everyone know, Williams Sonoma and everything it encompasses is wonderful and orgasmic. Personally, if I had an endless supply of money, I'd just have a whole fucking shopping spree here. Makes me warm and fuzzy just thinking about it...

8. Light Blue $80
I generally don't like wearing any sort of perfume, but I stumbled upon this scent by Dolce & Gabbana while shopping for overpriced makeup at Sephora. Aside from the fact that D & G does just about everything right, I hinted to the boy to look into it for Christmas, so perhaps I'll get to knock one off the list somewhere around the 25th...

7. A Day at the Spa $370
Beside the fact that I deserve this kind of treatment, I want the manicure, the pedicure, the facial and the massage. I want that kind of relaxation, dammit! What's a girl gotta do to get pampered?! Too bad Brazilian wax isn't included ;) heh.

6. BCBG Max Arzria Polkadot Dress $248
I love it... I love polkadots. I love black and white. I love strapless. I'd probably look killer in it. Of course, there is a whole slew of dresses I'd like to purchase. Another that I've had my eye on for this Christmas: Velvety Goodness at BR.

5. Prada Shoe $575
I am thee pickiest person when it comes to shoes, which would explain why I only wear sneakers and birkenstocks. Knowing me, you probably had no idea that this teeshirt and jeans kinda gal loves Prada shoes. The fact of the matter is I'm not going to pay money for crappy shoes I don't like, and the only heels worth killing my feet over are designer-type-ones. Case closed.

4. 3-Series Sport Wagon $30,000 or so.
Yes, it's the ultimate driving machine. Yes, Noel has beat BMW's into my head for the last year and a half. I'm head over heels. I have an irrational love for hatchbacks, and this one makes me want to drop the lease on my apartment, pick up a new lease at a certain Bavarian Motor Dealership and just live out of my car... talk about living in luxury.

3. Big, Beautiful House in England. $ ???,???,???.00
I've always had a dream of living in Europe. England seems logical, but I wont limit myself... Personally, I want to go and study Shakespeare in the heart of London... that would be nice.

2. The School of Athens $ needed to hire fine art thief... calling Catherine Zeta Jones!
This is by far my favorite painting in all of history. Unfortunately, I don't think the Vatican would appreciate my taking it, and there is not a sum to my knowledge they would allow me to "borrow" it for. Quite unfortunate...

1. Professional Student Extraordinaire $ five million billion to the 6th power
The cost of an education these days is pretty ridiculous. I'm paying 17k a year as it is, but if I were to be a student for the rest of my life, I think I'd incur enough loans to keep my great great great great grandchildren busy. If I had limitless money, I'd go to the top universities in the world and not have to worry about financial aide or payment plan bullshit. I know, you're thinking this isn't frivolous or instant gratification-y enough. Well, if you realized the incredible profit that lay in the higher education world, you'd be singing a different tune.

Well, that's it, folks. I don't know just how interesting it was, but yay for consumerism!