A Wren Says

I started composing this piece sitting outside in the heat of late summer. Let me tell you, it is not because I wanted to enjoy the summer sun while we still have it. Certainly not because I wanted the health benefits of sweating or humidity. No, it was because I locked my key inside the trunk of my car. You might ask, “Then why didn’t you just pull the latch and open it?” That would be silly, the trunk release has been broken for over two years because I refused to get it fixed. Why? Because it was too expensive and unnecessary. I was perfectly fine with using the key to open it. It was okay that any time I needed to give someone a ride to the airport, I had to turn my car off to open the trunk to get them their luggage. These were mere inconveniences that I would bear, all to avoid spending extra money on something so frivolous.

Until it wasn’t.

So, I called a locksmith to get the trunk open. Then he had to call another guy when he realized that instead I needed a key made to open it. So, there I was, sitting outside of a perfectly good car, calling to push back my appointments, and desperately missing the snacks I had locked in my trunk. And then at the end of the ordeal, it ended up costing more than it would have had I just gone to the auto shop and gotten the thing fixed in the first place.

Why am I bothering to write this? A. To vent a little bit, because I was truly frustrated with myself and the whole situation? B. To let you know the Banana Republic Luxury Touch tee shirt truly saved me with its anti-odor properties? C. To reflect on the idea that it is worth the expense to do it right rather than taking shortcuts?

The answer is all of the above, but mostly C.

I am reflecting on how often I try to take the easy way out or the path of least resistance. I try to avoid discomfort and try to save money as often as I can. But at the end of the day (or really at the end of a life), do these practices always serve me?

It is worth it to spend more to get a higher quality now. Yes, that might mean spend more money, but I also mean spending the time and the energy, whichever makes sense in a given scenario. I am reassessing my approach to life. I believe I need to stop trying to take cheap shortcuts and instead take the longer more difficult route that leads me to my ultimate goals.