Wealthy Shopper
You may have heard the story of Diderot’s robe somewhere along the way. You know: Diderot receives a fabulously luxurious robe, then bit by bit, ends up upgrading every aspect of his life so that everything matches the quality of the new robe. By the end, he misses his old careworn, well-loved robe, as well as everything that went along with it.

Here’s the thing: I think I just bought my husband Diderot’s robe, quite literally. With a few leftover wedding gift cards to use up (who knows what store’s going bankrupt next?), B and I hit the mall and picked up some nice rocks glasses, a pair of hefeweizen glasses, and a fuzzy robe for my husband. He’s been on a kick about enjoying the everyday aspects of life, and the occasional bath has become one of those things. The man has never had a robe in his life, and it was the most exciting thing we found in the store. Warm and incredibly soft, it seemed like the perfect splurge for a  guilt-free gift card binge.

Feeling good about our purchases, B and I headed home, wondering if this was how most Americans spent their weekends. We’re not used to just going shopping for the hell of it, so you imagine the Christmas Day glee we carried our lovely new bags into the house with.

Diderot’s Got Nothing on Us

Fast-forward about 15 minutes, and my husband puts on the new robe over his clothes and starts preening as a joke. He cups his chin between his forefinger and thumb and look haughtily toward the distance. Here’s the funny part: he suddenly looks like a rich man. We start laughing as plays the part to a T. We pull out the new rocks glasses, pour in a bit of scotch, and when I stop giggling to look up at B, I catch my breath. My husband, he of the declasse jokes and Bud Light, looks as if he’s to the manor born. It’s an amazing transformation. I have him look in the mirror to see if I’m imagining it. He concurs: he looks like a rich prick. And to be honest, he’s kind of enjoying it.

What am I getting at here? That my husband’s a prick? (Don’t worry, he’s not.) That the right bathrobe can turn you into Warren Buffett? (Sadly, not so much.) That we found happiness through shopping? (If that were true, you probably would have seen the 404 “This page can no longer be found” message here today.)

What I’m really getting at is the idea of wealth and happiness. It can feel good to feel wealthy, especially in hard times, and it can be surprisingly small things that get you there. By taking a good look at some of your favorite activities and finding ways to indulge in them a bit more, you can tap into that peace of mind a little more often. You don’t have to have a million in the bank to feel like you’ve made it. Sometimes all it takes is a fuzzy bathrobe, a good Scotch, and someone to make you laugh.

Let me know: agree or disagree? Is there a value in feeling wealthy from time to time, or does it just make you want to upgrade other parts of your life? And what things make you feel wealthy (assuming you don’t have a swimming pool filled with gold bullion)? Drop into the comments and share your story!

Creative Commons License photo credit: Morgan Sutherland

Similar Posts:

If you enjoyed this, please take a second to pass it on:
  • Mixx
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • E-mail this story to a friend!