This morning I awoke early and dressed in my rarely-worn business finery (read: not denim, shorts, or dance pants) to attend the final of four arts workshops intended for small budding arts organizations in Cincinnati who are in the critical early stages of growth looking to improve their board development, strategic planning, grant writing, development and fundraising, and marketing skills. I’ve learned so much attending these workshops and I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to meet and network with professionals from other amazing arts organizations in our vibrant community (there are so many unique and worthy ones!!) and to increase my skillset when it comes to arts administration in the non-profit sector. Thus far I’ve dwelled predominately in the artistic realm of the arts (performing, directing, teaching, constructing, etc.) so it’s very interesting to receive more detailed training in the administrative side of the arts. The delicious breakfast pastries and attractive view of downtown Cincy from a sleekly decorated and plush corner office conference room weren’t all that bad either. ;-)
After the session I decided to take a little detour to the luxe Kenwood Towne Center mall. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but rather had a short list of “generals” I’ve been browsing the market for good deals on. I had a rare few hours at my disposal and since this mall is immense and the heat outside even more so, I thought this might be a nice way to work in some daily exercise without the unbearable hazards of excessive heat warnings. Then I found the Godiva Chocolatier store and polished off two rich truffles in the blink of an eye. So much for my exercise. But I have no regrets because they were a totally delectable lunch. I browsed the Anthropologie, Apple store, Williams Sonoma, and Gap before arriving at the Sephora. I was helped pestered incessantly by a saleslady who had more makeup on her face than my face sees in an entire month. It was outright horrifying. She chose to highlight every single one of her features with a generous helping of, well, everything while I tend to stick to the “less is more” motto when it comes to my beauty routine. I inquired about a particular product I was searching for. She informed me that they no longer stock that item in store, then proceeded to recommend a different product to me. The only thought crossing my mind at this point was “why on earth would I take a makeup product recommendation from someone who looks like you do?” It’s a shameful thought, but let’s be honest, more often than not I am utterly terrified by the look of makeup sales associates. These are people who are supposed to be helping you mindfully select the right products for your face but they look like complete clowns themselves. It’s not very reassuring and I certainly feel awkward entrusting my outward appearance to someone who looks like they just stepped off the stage of a Broadway house. After pondering this for a moment, I decided that I didn’t really need the product I was on the hunt for. The experience was thoroughly convincing to me that less is more. This theory does not apply to the Godiva staff. They can force more upon me any day of the week.
This afternoon I walked through some pretty ritzy and impressive stores that carry a variety of nifty products from computers and household goods to clothing and accessories, most of which I cannot afford…ever. Usually, this disappoints me. I often feel depressed strolling through a high-end mall full of goodies that I like and that I assume would make me happy, but that I will never have. I cannot spend $116 on a skirt or $32 on a headband. But this time I enjoyed simply browsing without feeling bad about the things I like but will never own. The sales, the offers, the advertising, the endless display of electronics and beautiful clothing said only one thing to me – I don’t need all this stuff to be happy. I already have everything I need and more. Would it be nice to have it? Sure. But am I still happy without it? Absolutely yes. My husband loves me in jeans, a plain t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers with not a trace of makeup on my face. We have all the dishes and kitchen appliances we need. My computer is on its last legs, but I need merely an adequate replacement so I can do my work when the time comes. Fancy new clothing, a special cupcake pan, or a top of the line gadget isn’t going to make me any happier because our life is already beautiful as it is. We have a home, we have jobs, we have loving friends and family, and we have each other. And that’s enough. It always was enough and always will be enough. I left the mall well exercised, hopped up on a small sampling of chocolate, completely empty-handed, and totally happy.
