Movies and Books

That movie I wrote about yesterday is part of my fall from grace last week. I was at the local grocery store minding my own business when I saw the brightly colored sign that said, "ALL DVDS NOW 50% OFF MARKED PRICE. EVERYTHING MUST GO." I hesitated a moment, then nonchalantly sauntered into the video department to check what the marked prices were. I think it was nonchalant. I may have been running. I remembered to leave my cart outside the video department.

The marked prices were $5.95! I could buy dvds for less than $3! Well, with tax...but still! I started looking through the titles. I was looking the way I look for a movie to watch. Do I want this one more? Or should I put it back and get this other one? And then I thought, "Three dollars! They are only three dollars! I don't have to stand here and agonize. I can just pick out all the ones I like and buy them."

The selection had already been narrowed down quite a bit before they so drastically reduced the prices. They were using less than a fourth of their shelving for the remaining stock. So I took one here and another one there. I should have maybe thought twice when it started to be hard to hold them all. But there was another one I'd wanted to see and never rented. Shoot, three dollars was nearly the cost of a rental. I should just get it.

I got twenty. When I got home I told my son and my husband that I'd bought the video store. But that's what I say when I've bought just a few. They came out to help me carry in the groceries and I handed my son a bag full of dvds. He started laughing out loud. We brought them in and sorted through them and I wondered, was that some concern on my husband's face? Was he thinking I'd gone too far? Well, if he was then I'd probably have to admit he was right.

Which was why when we were finishing our quick supper at Wendy's that evening I was completely shocked when he suggested we take our 12 and 13 year olds to get a couple more movies. So we did. They each picked two, and I got three more...because I found one more shelf I hadn't seen earlier.

The next day my 13 year old asked the terrible question. "So Mom, how much did you spend on movies all together?" "Oh it couldn't be that much. They were only three dollars each except for that one for four and that one for five." My husband laughed. "You got nearly 30 movies for $3 each. Do the math."

Oh my goodness. I'm the one always preaching about not owning so much so we can give more to people who have less than we do. And I blew nearly $90 on movies. And they are non-returnable.

So I was stupid. But I'm still generous. All my friends are borrowing movies from me now.

* * * * * * * * *

I'm doing nanowrimo. My husband wasn't excited because it could mean my neglecting all my duties to write all the time, so I made rules for myself. Devotions before writing. Family before writing. Nobody gets crazy if I don't make my goal. Three very good rules.

I probably won't make my goal, but my husband was reading over my shoulder this evening and said this wonderful thing. "Who knows, maybe you'll be even better at novels than you are at your other writing."

This novel, though, will never be published. A long time ago I read that every writer's first novel is a self involved story of their life, thinly disguised. So I'm giving myself to that whole-heartedly. This story would seriously give away too many secrets to ever even consider putting into print. But so far I'm having a wonderful time. And I can get all that catharsis out of my system and write something much more uplifting next year. Three days down, twenty-seven to go.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Is it too personal for me to read too? Cause I'd like to.

Thinking about you a lot lately, I went to get ingredients for white chili yesterday, our favorite shared soup. :)

Becca
Anonymous said…
Me too!

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