Tuesday, August 6, 2013

A Tale of Love and Loss: Ashley and the Tacky Mirror

Life has been hectic for me lately! A couple of weeks ago, my husband was contacted about interviewing for a job in Montana. Shortly after that, we had a visit from my parents. Then our real estate agent contacted us about an offer to buy our house that we've been trying to sell for three years. At the moment, we have all sorts of irons in the fire, so no long posts for me today. Instead, I will present you a cautionary tale about procrastination.

While my parents were visiting, my mom requested that we visit the Hobby Lobby in town. Mom loves Hobby Lobby, but she doesn't have one very close to where she lives, so this was a special treat for her. Once inside, my mom, my daughter, and I began strolling the isles on the hunt for treasures. To make room for the Christmas items (don't get me started on that, I don't feel like climbing up on my soapbox tonight), they had put several items on clearance, including several decorative mirrors. It wasn't long before I spotted it - the gaudiest, God-awful mirror I'd ever seen. It was large, oval, and surrounded by ugly brass circles with obviously fake gems in their centers. What was worse, you could just sense the cheapness about it. Boy, I wish I had taken a picture to show you all. I called my mom's attention to it, and together we made fun of how hideous it was. On a whim, I checked the price tag. They had originally wanted $200 for this atrocity, but it had been marked down to only $25.

I began to walk away when I felt a change come over me. Mirrors are pricey, and $25 wasn't a bad price for a mirror that large, even if it was ugly enough to be tried for crimes against humanity. I glanced back. On a second look, I felt the mirror somehow had a kitschy charm to it. Honestly, the mirror's frame had a good shape; it was only the terrible brass and plastic gems that made it unattractive. I said to my mom, "Actually, I think I kind of like that tacky old mirror. You know, you could spray paint that frame and it would probably be pretty nice." She nodded in agreement. However, being my normal thrifty self, I said, "But I don't really need it."

Unfortunately, the more I thought about it, the more I really did want the mirror. After wrestling with the desire for a week, I stopped in to see if the mirror was still there. Alas, it was not. So here's my story's moral - if you really like something on clearance, don't wait! Snatch up that ugly mirror and make it yours!

Catch you next time!

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