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Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Oy Vey

Okay, here I go.

Occasionally, I like to use my blog as a stool to stand on to yell out the masses. We are all full opinions and mine happen to flow out of brain, through my fingers and onto a blank white screen with such ease, almost too much ease.

What am I opinionated about these days? Well, blogs. Specifically blogs about what people have purchased, where they are going on vacations and why we are losers for not living the charmed life they are living.

I am made to feel outdated for not waiting in line for 3 hours for the “beautifully designed” iPhone. I am uncultured for not taking a vacation overseas and my children will be ignorant because they are not sampling the cultures abroad. I don’t have “that one shirt” from Anthro (that is what the cool people call it) and I have no business spending that much money. I don’t have a “green car” and I am polluting the earth with my little 2002 four door. I use plastic grocery bags and I will be sent to Hell by Mother Earth. My house isn’t spotless and isn’t filled with sounds from the newest, yuppiest album.

Instead, my house is always littered with Tonka trucks, made in China of all places. There are half empty soda cans because we drink lots of soda and not filtered water all the time. We don’t take fancy vacations because we can’t afford them. My car is on it’s last legs and I won’t be getting a new one for a while. And the shocker is that I am happy and my family is happy.

So am I normal? Are there more of me out there? Are there more people willing to brand their own charmed life fraught with their own version of happiness and joy instead of somebody else’s?

I sure hope so.

15 comments:

Rebecca said...

I like to surround myself with people who just don't care about those kind of things. My hubby is an orthodontist and people always assume that we live the trendy, yuppy life. Nope. We're old fashioned. We actually like to pay off our debts.

Try this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8TY4LSdjLI

And this one: a great satirical blog making fun of all things Mormon trendy.

http://seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-07-29T08%3A15%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=5

Allison said...

Hi Whitney! Thanks for stopping by my blog! Yes, the quilts were amazing. You should see all of the great ones she made me for my son. Ooh la la. Your blog is SO FUN!!! Love it. I am a marketing director and graphic designer and love your typography style. Oh, and BTW, thanks for adding to my preggo weight gain as I will be making the oatmeal fudge cookies TODAY!!!! And to make a long comment even longer, I the "charmed life" is whatever version of "home" you can make with your family. Who cares about how the other half lives, when they are only living half of a life??!!

MamaDonna said...

You know me, I am very live and let live. And personally I think all people should be that way. I don't judge you for wasting $600 on a phone when you'll only use 1/3 of the functions (especially when you leave the Apple store and walk right past that homeless person and don't even look twice), and you don't judge me for perferring a day at home alone without kids as a luxury vacation. Excuse me for getting married in my 20's *gasp* and having kids instead of backpacking across Europe. If only people could just see that what makes them happy, doesn't apply to everyone. I'm with you Whit!

Megan said...

You are singing my song. Right on key, cookie.

Rae said...

Loved this post!

If I admit my hubby has an iPhone will you hate me? :) Don't judge too quickly yet! My cell phone is almost four years old and just took a bath in diet coke last week. That doesn't stop me! As long as it still gets a signal I'll keep using it! Why does he have the fancy phone and I have the piece of crap? Because he actually knows how to use the phone and needs many of the functions. I could care less what kind of phone I have!

Both hubby and I have travelled abroad extensively. Oh wait! At the government's expense. Military. No relaxing vacations there!

As far as finding the latest styles at the trendiest shops...well I just posted about that yesterday. I personally find greater pleasure in replicating certain styles and saving buckets of money in the meantime.

I certainly ask for plastic bags every time I am at the grocery store. What else would I put the baby's poopy diapers into?

Thanks for such a great and thought provoking post!

cat+tadd=sam said...

You know I'm guilty of some of your complaints, but I'm not ashamed. I love my jeans more than air, but that surely doesn't mean I'm going to blog about them. I cannot stand those self righteous bloggers that push their beliefs and such on you. I say "delete them"! Also, you really need to go to that seriouslysoblessed blog. HILAR.

Sweet Pea Chef said...

We left DC and all things "status"-ful two years ago. I don't miss it a bit.

Heck, we only had one car until a few months ago, since SPH was in grad school. He rode his bike (horrors!) or sometimes took the bus (double horrors!) and we did just fine.

I buy from consignment and I love it. Yes, I am a bit of a foodie, but I make no apologies for that. :)

Ashley Thalman said...

si si si! i could write a post on this VERY thing daily. the most irritating award goes to the blogs that feature products that i happen to know are waaaay out of their price range. why feature them? to lust? to covet? to wish upon a star that doesn't deserve the wish? or last (but most likely) make sure all of your readers know exactly how cool you are with all of your trendy wishes?

your life is great whitney. i love my life, poor as it is. i love it.

[Morgan] said...

Anthro? ha ha. I don't even go there. If I don't know about it, I don't need it and can't want it.
Amen to all you said. There is nothing I hate more in this internet world than an insincere, or look at me blog.
I posted our FAB trip to disney land in june... am I guilty? Truth is we saved for months and it sucked us dry of any spare change...
Every time I see some Anthro shirt on someones "must have" list, I think to myself, wow you're really shooting' for the stars uh? That's so important to you, I sure hope you get it, and take a picture of yourself in it, then post it in a large, photoshopped format.
My house is inexpensively and simply decorated, my paint is chipped from tonka trucks and there are barbie shoes around every corner, and currently my daughter is crushing real graham crackers in a play cup in her pretend kitchen and giving them to her real little brother with a play spoon... and I too am happy. Perhaps I should go attend to what could potentially be a choking situation...
Thanks for this post Whitney! I love your honesty.

Jones Family said...

Everyone has their thing they are good at... your's is making the most amazing food ever!!! Mine is using reusable grocery bags... how about I give you some reusable grocery bags and you can make me some of that nectarine blueberry crisp, mmm... sounds so good.

BTW, Hannah is loving the King and I. Jack and Hannah will have to watch it for their third date. Check out your cute little boy lovin' up my cute little girl. They are so funny.

ps. check the sale rack at "Anthro" I got my $128 skirt for $30!!!

Melissa said...

Hey Rookie-

I saw you found my "running reeses" blog the other day. I frequent yours often, I love your recipes!! Your cute sis Cat cuts my hair and was kind enough to tell me about it. I think your post is hilarious because I too get sick of seeing everyone put their "perfect" selves on their blogs. It's all very stepford wifeish and not at all believable. I am a mama of three and I am lucky to shower every other day and am sitting here in my oh so cute cutoff sweats. If you ever need running advice, feel free to ask. My hubby and I love running and he loves to talk about it with others. Thanks for your humor and sarcasm. love it.

Jodi Jean said...

ditto whitney!

Helene said...

You are normal! People think I get to do all the things I do from sitting on my ass. Truth be told, all the exotic ingredients I use have been given to me by other blogers, I have not shopped for myself in one year and all the porps I use for photos are clearance item or yard sales, fabrics are one yard samples of the cheapest thing I can find. I don't have an Iphone, an Ipod, etc...and so far there are $15 left in my bank account until next paycheck. Vacation? What's that?!! and I don't even have children. I too get aggravated about certain things I see and read but I always try to remember the "physical" possesion and happiness I have like a wonderful husband, great family and friends....maybe they are blogging about things because that is truly all they have. You don't, it's obvious and that makes you a normal, loving human being!
You made me delurk with such a topic because I just got an email about a reader asking where I got certain glasses I use: $1 at K-Mart...welcome to my world!!
We recycle rain water for crying out loud so we don't have to pay the city for yard water!!

Jessica said...

This is an old post, but have been on a "blogging hiatus" for a bit and came across this post today. I wanted to thank you for it, I find myself blog stalking all the time and see the exotic trips taken, the new toys purchased, and I wonder were everyone's money comes from? Sometimes I even find myself feeling worth less because of our lack of vacations!! So thank you for this post, it expressed my thoughts perfectly, and comforted me as well

Christi said...

well put and i completely agree. i'm having one of those days and happened across your blog...which caught my attention and i've read from jan 09 to here...great blog. thanks for the honesty and humannes.