I’ve always found joy in the impractical. I adore my assortment of odd-shaped candles perched on every surface in my room. Now, these candles are not to be smelled, not to be lit; they’re to be marveled at, they’re to be praised, and they’re there to inspire me to think outside of the box.
The aisle of travel-sized toiletries is my favorite section in any Target. Bins overflowing with the cutest Head & Shoulders 2-in-1, compact lint-rollers, 1-inch hair brushes, and a tiny Vaseline tub for the road. The typical cost-benefit analysis that motivates my shopping behavior is thrown out the window in the presence of miniature products. The second that that tiny aerosol bottle of dry shampoo rests in my palm, I couldn’t care less about the “bang for my buck.”
Nothing compares, however, to my obsession with fun purses. Bright orange, green and brown checkered lining and pearls for straps are my kryptonite. I don’t mind the fact that I barely use these purses. Their bright colors rarely match my outfits, they act as a clunky barrier for me to hug everyone I see, and I usually don a backpack that holds all my lifelines.
I’ve always wondered why such small, simple things can thrill me to such an extent. Do I see the pristine wicks of my candles as a daily act of rebellion? Could my obsession with miniature toiletries be an ache to escape my small body? Are the purses just a symbol of my fleeting attempts at individualism?
Regardless of their potential relationship to the woes of my psyche, they make me happy. In a society that’s hell-bent on productivity and perfectionism, I hope that you, too, find joy in the impractical.