After spending several days amongst friends who care desperately about material possessions and about being the best/having the most, it really made me think about my own image and what I want to portray to others.
I have never really thought about "keeping up with the Joneses" but spending time with the Joneses will really make you look carefully at your own actions. The first thing that I noticed about myself is that driving a minivan really got under my skin...I still have the minivan and the thought of driving it to work makes me crazy! I can't quite figure out if it is because I am afraid that others will judge me to be a "soccer mom" OR if I really want people to see me as classier than a minivan. Because, certainly, someone like me can have better taste than a minivan, right?
But, should it really matter? I typically do not really care what people think of me because I know that their opinion doesn't really matter...but usually, I am more educated and more on top of my game than the person judging. In this case, I am just another minivan driver and that is driving me completely insane. I just want to hang a sign outside of the window that says, "THIS IS JUST A LOANER CAR!"
It makes me wonder why I can't just be satisifed no matter what kind of car I drive. Should I really care about the image that I portray to people as long as I know what kind of person I am? I know that I do not drive a Dodge Caravan so it shouldn't matter what others think...and what do others think? Unfortunately, I am quick to judge even though I also want my image to be one of acceptance no matter the education, the income, or the type of car driven...I need to work on this more often...since when did I become an elitist?
Even though most of my girlfriends have equal education (or at least close!) as I do, most seem satisfied with not moving their career forward and instead most of them seem happy with the image of the soccer mom...even though none drive a minivan!!...In this circle of friends, I am really the only one that cares deeply about professional image. I want people to see me in a career role and sometimes fail to let my guard down for others to see me as also a mom and a wife. It seems that I have worked so definitively over the years to create this image that the thought of even changing the car I drive from a professional look to a different look is setting me over the edge...well, not really the edge, but close...
So, I guess I do really care what people think about me...even down to material possessions. This is on my list of things to work on...well, as soon as the minivan returns to its home!
But, this too shall pass and in time I will have my car back and feel whole again.
I have never really thought about "keeping up with the Joneses" but spending time with the Joneses will really make you look carefully at your own actions. The first thing that I noticed about myself is that driving a minivan really got under my skin...I still have the minivan and the thought of driving it to work makes me crazy! I can't quite figure out if it is because I am afraid that others will judge me to be a "soccer mom" OR if I really want people to see me as classier than a minivan. Because, certainly, someone like me can have better taste than a minivan, right?
But, should it really matter? I typically do not really care what people think of me because I know that their opinion doesn't really matter...but usually, I am more educated and more on top of my game than the person judging. In this case, I am just another minivan driver and that is driving me completely insane. I just want to hang a sign outside of the window that says, "THIS IS JUST A LOANER CAR!"
It makes me wonder why I can't just be satisifed no matter what kind of car I drive. Should I really care about the image that I portray to people as long as I know what kind of person I am? I know that I do not drive a Dodge Caravan so it shouldn't matter what others think...and what do others think? Unfortunately, I am quick to judge even though I also want my image to be one of acceptance no matter the education, the income, or the type of car driven...I need to work on this more often...since when did I become an elitist?
Even though most of my girlfriends have equal education (or at least close!) as I do, most seem satisfied with not moving their career forward and instead most of them seem happy with the image of the soccer mom...even though none drive a minivan!!...In this circle of friends, I am really the only one that cares deeply about professional image. I want people to see me in a career role and sometimes fail to let my guard down for others to see me as also a mom and a wife. It seems that I have worked so definitively over the years to create this image that the thought of even changing the car I drive from a professional look to a different look is setting me over the edge...well, not really the edge, but close...
So, I guess I do really care what people think about me...even down to material possessions. This is on my list of things to work on...well, as soon as the minivan returns to its home!
But, this too shall pass and in time I will have my car back and feel whole again.
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