Spending Is Patriotic, Right?

If so, I may be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Normally I avoid consumer spending like the plague. Except for my periodically self-indulgent trips to Target, I usually find that I just don't want or need any more stuff.

But lately I'm like a crow who fixates on bright shiny things. It all started with the new car. Then it was a pair of glossy knee-high black leather boots that I needed to go with the car. Then I started Christmas shopping with abandon, and actually managed to purchase some gifts for other people along the way. But when I bought an MP3 player today, I knew I'd lost my mind.

See, I didn't even know I wanted an MP3 player until I saw it. I certainly don't need one. The truth is, I'm such a committed luddite that I don't even know how they work, and probably won't be able to figure it out. But there it was, with its shiny metal case, and suddenly I had to have it. I swooped down upon it and snatched it into my beak without even thinking.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time I've been caught in the grip of rampant consumer greed. Every time it's happened in the past has been during times of tremendous loss, not unlike what I'm going through right now. In fact, the last time I suffered a loss as staggering as my split with Dear Husband, I ended up with a new car, some black leather boots, and a new music player.

You don't have to be Sigmund Freud to figure out what all this means. But unfortunately, self-awareness doesn't always equal enlightenment. I hope I come to my senses before my bank account is empty and my credit cards are maxed out. But at least I'm doing my part to stimulate the economy.