I was in my car pulling up at a local corner store to post some parcels, grab a pineapple juice {I think I’m fighting off a cold or something} and buy an exercise book. My car is a sporty, recent model little thing that attracts a fair amount of attention. It attracted mine, that was the whole point. I put my foot out of the door to climb out and there was a teenage dude, nose pressed to the window of a passing car, nodding and smiling and giving me a thumbs up. Mouthing the words nice car, niiiice car.

I nodded my head, half smiled and went about attempting to wrangle my light summer dress over my lady parts before climbing out. Awkward. I chuckled to myself as I walked into the shop. Random. People are so weird. Not that I didn’t agree with him.

It reminded me of the time that a lady with a minivan tried to race me off the lights. Even going so far as to laugh and wave when she ‘beat me’. An easy win, just quietly, I’m a little old for street racing. But clearly she saw the car, made some assumptions about me, what I thought of her and decided to prove me wrong. Or something. People are SO weird about things.

And by people I mean me too, of course.

I love nice things, beautifully made high quality things are just the loveliest. I’d have many, many more of them if I could. Just to stroke them, look at them and enjoy them. I love things. But I’m not attached to them. Or I try not to be. For example, I would never keep a car I couldn’t afford to impress people I don’t know. Madness. But there are people who do. Same goes for beautiful homes, clothes, jewels, gadgets etc. It’s important to separate a love of beautiful things with an attachment.

If your things are saying who you are for you, you’re attached.

Your worth will never be determined how nice your things are or how many things you have. It’s a lie. They lied. Again. Status symbols are nothing to do with who you are as a person, your value to those around you that matter or what you are capable of. My little plain jane old car still had me driving around in it. I was still the same person. Still the woman lucky enough to be so greatly valued by the people I love. The women who is determined to be of service to people. To do something great.

No amount of stuff will make you better when you are being ugly or cruel. So let it going. Don’t get attached to things. No amount of stuff will make you worse. You are who you are, that summary of the choices you have made to date and the plans you make to move forward. No lack of stuff diminishes your achievements or abilities. So don’t get attached, yeah? Enjoy your things, your stuff, for what they are. Pretty shiny things. The end.

I promise you, your value, my value, it isn’t there. 

Melissa Walker Horn

Hi! I’m Melissa Walker Horn. Around here, they call me Suger. I’m the Chief Blogger and doer of all the things here at Suger Coat It. Blogging since 1901; I love a casual ootd, taking photos, and writing about things that irk or inspire me. I love wine and cheese, long days at the beach and spending time with my family. I make stuff for the internet over at Chalkboard Digital. You know, living the sweet life.