Toys for parents

This is a picture of the guy, who when nagged to no end, consented to a good deal of $ being spent on a new electronic toy for his wife….one that I might add, she did not really need. Want, need. Yes, they are very different, but not so different when the “want frenzy” is at its height.

Here’s the thing. My toys costs in the hundreds. Bill’s toys cost in the thousands. Yes, I may buy more frequently, but my purchases do not add up to anything near his toy purchases. Testament to this were (I say were, because 3 of them have been sold THANK GOD) the 4 dirt bikes sitting in our garage not too long ago. If I were to do the math, and I have many times done it outloud for the benefit of the smiling one above, those hateful beasts added up to more than….$14,000. Yes, you heard me corretly. 14 thousand dollars…..in dirt bikes.

Yes, although they may have cost that much………..now here is the real catch with dirt bikes………..they decrease in value the way mercury drops in a thermometer when placed in a cup of ice water. What did we actually get for them? About 1/4 of their actual purchase price, I kid you not. I won’t even get into the gear that was needed to ride said dirt bikes….gear that is still sitting out in the work room, never to be used again.

When arguing the virtues of the C-8080, I basically told him all of the above. He smiled at me and would tell me not to buy it, all the while knowing that it was already a done deal, but he would never admit that, because he knows that part of the thrill of a new purchase is the angst leading up to it…the indecision, the guilt, the longing….and he plays it to the hilt.

Now it is his turn, because his truck is outliving its usefulness, and it appears to be time to buy a new car for him. But, I smile and say things like “Do we need another car note?” , “”I am not sure we can afford it”, and “your truck is still running”, because, well, I learned from the master the art of what I will call “the buyers tease”. In the end, he will get his new truck, we will have our budget strapped again, and the circle of spending will go on.

For now, I am so glad to be able to photograph my family and produce pics that I will treasure forever. I capture moments in time that would otherwise escape me. Moments that my memory may not hold as I age. Money well spent, in my humble opinion.