I have debt.  I went to a good college, I attended an expensive graduate school (briefly), and I’ve been 95% financially independent since I was 16.  Sometimes, I think (know) that I should be putting every extra cent I earn toward these debts - it’s a strong vote for my future, and every penny I can pay now is worth a penny plus 5-12%….

But sometimes things come along that you can’t resist.  I’m not talking about material urges that strike at any shopping mall, or a need to keep up with the Joneses. These are rare, beautiful, quality things that fill a need in your life, even if it’s not quite an essential, air-water-food type of need.

These Dolce & Gabbana Sunglasses filled that need in a way that words can barely describe, but I will do my best.

I used to eschew names and labels, especially “designer” ones.  I avoided anything with a logo and convinced myself that there was no more style, elegance, or quality in a name brand product than there was in a generic one.

 Obviously, I was wrong.

The problem comes down to one of intent and motivation. I know that these sunglasses won’t make me a better person, or even make me thinner, more beautiful, or more popular. I don’t feel a particular self-esteem boost from the D&G adornment, any more than I would from wearing any other equally stunning pair of sunglasses.  Honestly.

These do represent my true image, though, which is an important form of self-expression (trust me, the stories about the “generic” days will come soon!). They do identify my tribe, my caste, something about my personality. I’d prefer to live in a less-judgmental, less-materialistic society, sure, but I’m not going to change this country by wearing gas station sunglasses. 

They also make me happy - I think they’re a beautiful object, and I feel proud to own them. It’s an investment in myself. So should that extra $200 have gone to Citibank? Maybe…but at least my cost-per-use for these is already down to $3 a day, and I anticipate that I’ll hang on to them until it’s as low as 20 cents.

Silly?  Maybe, but confidence counts. It’s something that works in a domino-like manner, and these have definitely started some positive cascades. I’ve caught the eye of several new clients ($$$!), closed some great deals at my day job, and met some amazingly nice people out and about town. Go figure…and then “buy the sunglasses”, whatever that means for you.

Invest in yourself; you’re all you have.

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