Priorities

Here's a story about priorities:

My friend Tucker, who lives right across the hallway from me, called out sick for THREE consecutive days this week, which included skipping his class this morning, to grow a beard.  He can't make rent this week, but he had to do it because, and I quote, "my face is breaking out."

Not that I'm much better.  I refuse to buy groceries more than twice a month but I just spent $40 on a new foundation from Sephora.  It's fascinating to observe how young adults handle their financial affairs in so many different ways.  Things were different up at school; most people were unemployed and avoided spending money like the plague.  I couldn't even get people to spend $7 to see The Phantom Menace in theatres with me.  On top of it all, nobody drank alcohol.  Here, the fact that we are all working 30 to 50 hours a week creates this false sense of wealthy independence.  I've seen kids do everything from spend $30 on an Avengers 4-disc box set to blow $85 on a lavish dinner and a few too many glasses of wine at Blue Bayou.  But what it comes down to is, we're all here for the experience.  Few of us have had jobs that paid more than minimum wage for tending to fro yo machines.  I think it's okay that, now that we are gainfully employed in one of the busiest and most entertaining counties in America, we spend a little too much money on experiences that we will never be able to have again in five or ten years, when we are all tied down with jobs, grad school or marriage.

Priorities are for those who have more to worry about than just which Halloween party they're going to next week.  So pray for me and my frequent, drool-filled trips to the Fossil store in Downtown Disney.  I'm going to need it.