Put On Your Mask First

Maintaining the vision, but modifying the process based on your realities

I am convinced that I was an heiress in a previous life.

There is no other way to explain why my natural inclinations are nearly always pointed towards a high-quality, but expensive, resolution.

At my great-auntie’s house, trying to look unbothered by the big ashtray full of cigarette detritus

I distinctly remember laying in the middle of my living room floor as a kid, looking through new department store catalogs when they’d arrive in the mail. I’d head to the clothing, houseware and toy sections, eagerly browsing the items. And when I fixated on something, when a product truly jumped out at me as a “must have,” it was inevitably the most expensive thing on the page.

Once I became conscious of it, I started testing the theory on higher-end catalogs that didn’t necessarily separate their items into sections. You could have clothing, jewelry and accessories all on the same page. And the same principle held true. If I liked the sweater the model was wearing, it was a $600 sweater. Cute purse? Well over a grand for that one. And this is pre-pubescent Stephanie, who had no reasonable expectation of ever owning these things and did not have her own credit cards.

The realities of adulthood have certainly modified my preferences. But I do like to maintain a customized quality of life that is reflective of my priorities and pleasures…