New Shoes

This summer, when I slipped into my favorite pair of sandals, they fit like a glove, all broken in, the leather soft and supple from last summer's constant wearing. But the soles were cracked, and had started falling apart. I didn't want to give them up because they fit so well. So I've kept wearing them.

Sometimes, when I was out at the mall, I would stop in a shoe store and look at other sandals, even trying some on. I didn't like how the new shoes fit, however. They were too stiff, too hard. I would kick them off and put my old sandals on, going merrily on my way.

Similarly, my life has been like an old pair of sandals, much too comfortable and uninspiring, even when there is so much I want to do. I turned 38 this year, and wondered where my thirties have gone. How am I improved since I was 28? I swore I wasn't going to waste my thirties like I wasted my twenties, but here I am, still coasting, still drifting downstream. We all die eventually. Is this really how I want to remember my life?

Sure I have a great kid, a great husband, a great life with food on the table and a roof over my head, jobs, and two dogs, but I feel as if I have stopped growing as a person.

I am a lurker at metafilter, and this week on askmetafilter, libraryhead posted this question. It seemed to sum up all I have been feeling.

Blah Blah Blah-di-blah

I buy and sell on Ebay. I mostly buy. Recently I sold two items. One was a group of three items, two in perfect working condition, one was for parts only (which I listed on the auction). The group sold for what I was expecting it to sell for--the opening bid. No big deal. It was only $30.

So I was surprised when about two weeks after the buyer had received the items that I had a case opened against me--and negative feedback. My favorite part of the case was that the buyer said that I hadn't contacted them regarding the "issues" with the group of items after sending me multiple emails.

I checked my email. There was one email, claiming the items didn't work. BS. One of course didn't work; it was listed in the auction.

Needless to say, we worked out an agreement, without me needing to refund, and the person removing the negative feedback. People will nickel and dime you to death.

In the second instance, I sold a doll. It was in need of some TLC. I stupidly assumed that the new owner would want to be the one to clean her up. How silly of me. I guess I should have written in BIG BOLD LETTERS: DOLL NEEDS TLC.

Ah well. C'est la vie. Like I said, people will nickel and dime you to death.

Ebay is fun, and it can be addicting. I never expect brand new unless the auction/ad says brand new. I guess people are suspicious of everything, considering the (unfortunately untrustworthy) reputation of sellers on Ebay.

Today's gratitudes:

• sunny weather YAY SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• air-conditioning in the car
• Ben & Jerry's Berried Treasure
• dogwoods in bloom
• Aleve for the carpal tunnel in both hands
• doing RAKs (random acts of kindness) for people on Ravelry