I'm
not very materialistic. I'm not into labels or designer names. When
one of my best friends told me she had gotten a Michael Kors handbag I
just nodded and pretended to know who the heck Michael Kors was. My
purses usually come from Target, my shoes from Payless. I shop around
for a good price, I clip coupons and am an Extra Care Bucks Queen at
CVS. I'm really not materialistic.
I would not turn down a date with a man just because he was rich, but I'm not looking for a rich guy either. (Although, if you know any single rich men feel free to send them my way!) I don't expect my dates to spend $100s of dollars on dinner or buy me expensive gifts. I don't care if my boyfriend wears expensive clothes or cheap thrift store finds.
However....
Back in 1992, I found out that I could be materialistic about somethings. I had recently graduated from college and was quickly reaching "old maid" status in my small, country town. My friends and immediate family weren't worried about me finding a man, but most everyone else I knew was. Janice, a great lady I went to church with, decided she should set me up with a brother of a friend of hers. He had recently moved into town and didn't know many people. And seeing as how we were both breathing we were obviously made for each other.
Janice told me to meet Irwin at McDonald's Sunday afternoon at 2:00. (I thought it somewhat odd that she didn't just give me his phone number or ask to give mine to him.) This sounded harmless enough since I would be close to home, was meeting him there and could leave whenever I wanted. 2:00pm Sunday rolled around and I went to McDonald's to meet Irwin. I walked into an almost completely empty restaurant. I saw one tall guy sitting by himself drinking a cup of coffee. (Odd that the guy waiting on me would have bought himself something before I got there, but maybe he'd gotten there a bit early.) I walked over, he saw me and asked if I was there to meet Irwin? I said yes and we introduced ourselves. I sat down and we began to chat (I was patiently waiting for him to offer to go get me something to drink. He never did.) I mention that I'd like a Diet Coke and he says, "Great, go grab one while I use the restroom." (Rude on 2 counts: 1 he didn't offer to physically go get it and 2 he didn't offer to pay for it.)
I returned to the table to find him back (I really hope he washed his hands!) We continued with basic "get to know you" conversation. I knew he had recently moved here so, I inquired about where he'd been living, what he'd been doing, etc. He told me he had lost his job about a year earlier. Then he found an old cabin in the North Carolina mountains and had stayed there for nine months. (I didn't realize he literally meant he had FOUND it. It was an old, run down cabin no one was living in.) He then went on to tell me about the house he was renting here. It had a small kitchen, one bath, one bedroom, and was very easy to keep clean since it had a dirt floor. (Not wood, not carpet, not tile; but DIRT. I never found out if it was built without one or if the orginial had rotted away.) Not knowing how to respond, I just smiled and nodded.
Irwin must have thought I was impressed with his rental property because he decided to ask me out on a real date. His next few statements went something like this: "I'd really like to take you out on a real date sometime soon. Maybe we could go next Saturday. I'll have to tell Janice what time and she can call and let you know since I don't have a phone. We could go into Chattanooga and see a movie and go out to eat. Wherever we go though, we'll have to park my car somewhere where I can just pull straight through because my car doesn't have a reverse. I bought it a few weeks ago and got a really good deal because the reverse gear doesn't work. I think I'll have enough money to buy my ticket and dinner. Be sure to bring enough for whatever you'll want." (I could handle going dutch, I could even handle Janice relaying information because he didn't have a telephone, but his car didn't have reverse. He bought a car without reverse.)
Yes, in 1992, I found out that some material possessions do matter. I don't need diamonds and caviar, but I insist on a house having a floor and a car going in reverse!
I would not turn down a date with a man just because he was rich, but I'm not looking for a rich guy either. (Although, if you know any single rich men feel free to send them my way!) I don't expect my dates to spend $100s of dollars on dinner or buy me expensive gifts. I don't care if my boyfriend wears expensive clothes or cheap thrift store finds.
However....
Back in 1992, I found out that I could be materialistic about somethings. I had recently graduated from college and was quickly reaching "old maid" status in my small, country town. My friends and immediate family weren't worried about me finding a man, but most everyone else I knew was. Janice, a great lady I went to church with, decided she should set me up with a brother of a friend of hers. He had recently moved into town and didn't know many people. And seeing as how we were both breathing we were obviously made for each other.
Janice told me to meet Irwin at McDonald's Sunday afternoon at 2:00. (I thought it somewhat odd that she didn't just give me his phone number or ask to give mine to him.) This sounded harmless enough since I would be close to home, was meeting him there and could leave whenever I wanted. 2:00pm Sunday rolled around and I went to McDonald's to meet Irwin. I walked into an almost completely empty restaurant. I saw one tall guy sitting by himself drinking a cup of coffee. (Odd that the guy waiting on me would have bought himself something before I got there, but maybe he'd gotten there a bit early.) I walked over, he saw me and asked if I was there to meet Irwin? I said yes and we introduced ourselves. I sat down and we began to chat (I was patiently waiting for him to offer to go get me something to drink. He never did.) I mention that I'd like a Diet Coke and he says, "Great, go grab one while I use the restroom." (Rude on 2 counts: 1 he didn't offer to physically go get it and 2 he didn't offer to pay for it.)
I returned to the table to find him back (I really hope he washed his hands!) We continued with basic "get to know you" conversation. I knew he had recently moved here so, I inquired about where he'd been living, what he'd been doing, etc. He told me he had lost his job about a year earlier. Then he found an old cabin in the North Carolina mountains and had stayed there for nine months. (I didn't realize he literally meant he had FOUND it. It was an old, run down cabin no one was living in.) He then went on to tell me about the house he was renting here. It had a small kitchen, one bath, one bedroom, and was very easy to keep clean since it had a dirt floor. (Not wood, not carpet, not tile; but DIRT. I never found out if it was built without one or if the orginial had rotted away.) Not knowing how to respond, I just smiled and nodded.
Irwin must have thought I was impressed with his rental property because he decided to ask me out on a real date. His next few statements went something like this: "I'd really like to take you out on a real date sometime soon. Maybe we could go next Saturday. I'll have to tell Janice what time and she can call and let you know since I don't have a phone. We could go into Chattanooga and see a movie and go out to eat. Wherever we go though, we'll have to park my car somewhere where I can just pull straight through because my car doesn't have a reverse. I bought it a few weeks ago and got a really good deal because the reverse gear doesn't work. I think I'll have enough money to buy my ticket and dinner. Be sure to bring enough for whatever you'll want." (I could handle going dutch, I could even handle Janice relaying information because he didn't have a telephone, but his car didn't have reverse. He bought a car without reverse.)
Yes, in 1992, I found out that some material possessions do matter. I don't need diamonds and caviar, but I insist on a house having a floor and a car going in reverse!
Hey, Bob and Susan sound a little familiar to me. Bob still doesn't understand the term "stocky". LOL
ReplyDeleteI figured you'd catch that :)
ReplyDelete