How Do You Look Her In The Eye?

Do you have products you hear about or see advertised that you've just got.to.have? You know what I mean...the life-won't-be-the-same-without-it-it-will-make-you-so-very-happy-if-you-could-only-have-it-and-then-the-next-thing-you-know-its-in-the-'make-an-offer'-bin-at-your-garage-sale kind of products?

My friend and I were talking about these types of I-need-it purchases. It seems that if we just wait it out and revisit the issue in a few days or weeks we realize that we don't care so much about the things we thought we couldn't live without. Spending money on silly things has been on my heart lately. I keep thinking of mothers of children (Africa, specifically, keeps coming to mind) that are dying because they don't have enough to eat. Yesterday, in the midst of my discussion with my friend, I thought about the I-need-it purchases. How would I explain them to that mother. Could I look her in the eye and tell her how important that I-need-it thing is? How would I feel if I was that mother? Would I resent the greedy, spoiled North American lady telling me her sob story about not buying the thing that she wants?

I've thought a whole lot about this today and I can bet that I won't be making many unnecessary purchases without thinking of looking my imaginary (but very real) African mom in the eye.