Is that even a real word?? I tried finding the opposite of "materialistic" and couldn't find a word that really worked. All I know is, I am NOT materialistic.
I am sure this is a trait that my husband greatly appreciates =) When he proposed to me, we were both very poor. He felt guilty buying me an engagement ring at Walmart. Spending maybe 1-2% of the amount that most would spend on an engagement ring. But guess what.... I LOVED it. I actually was happier with that ring that I would've been with a $2,000 ring. I don't do flashy jewelry. I don't do expensive jewelry (or anything else for that matter). The reaction by some woman has been amusing because they would have been offended to be given a ring that didn't cost thousands of dollars. Personally, I find it ridiculous to spend that much money on jewelry when that could instead buy a reliable car, pay rent or mortgage, pay bills, put food on the table... I have even had some make comments about how he needs to get me a real ring (an expensive ring). I told them, "No way! I love my ring and honestly don't want an expensive one. I would be mad if he bought me an expensive ring." That statement seems so foreign to many people.
My husband now knows that I am sentimental and not into expensive things. I think the most expensive gift he has given me was my Kitchenaid mixer. I LOVE practical gifts and he has learned that by now.
I don't own a ton of shoes or clothes. I don't buy expensive purses. My favorite purse was one that I paid 50 cents for at a garage sale!
I don't find my happiness in possessions. Of course having a house and vehicles are wonderful and make my life better. But I don't have a huge, fancy house. I don't have new cars. I have a very basic house that is actually on the small side for a family of 6. We have vehicles that are old and not in the best condition, but they work. I know that possessions will never bring happiness. A lot of my happiest memories are ones from time spent out in nature, not of things I owned or how much money I spent on something.
I can close my eyes and very vividly go back to this place I loved. When I was in high school we lived in a very small cabin in the woods up in Alaska. The cabin overlooked a small lake. I spent many hours sitting on the hillside overlooking the lake. I would sit in the tall grass and plants growing wild, close my eyes and lift my head up towards the sky as the breeze would blow across my skin. Feeling the warmth of the sun on my face. Breathing in the clean, pure, majestic nature around me. That moment, I can still go back to. Right at this very moment I am there. I can feel it. I am taken back to those beautiful moments of peace, serenity, and pure happiness. I can feel the stresses of my day have completely faded away.
Possessions can't make me feel that way. Getting caught up in materialistic things completely destroys that feeling for me. I would rather be poor and have that feeling of tranquility and joy than to have a big house, fancy cars, popular name brand clothes/shoes/purses, high end electronics, etc.
I guess you could say that I am just down-to-earth. This is a trait of mine that I actually really like. Finding things about me that I actually like has been difficult, but this is one thing that I really do like and don't want to ever change about me.
(The above picture is not from the cabin I wrote about. We lived there pre-digital camera days. This is one I took in Washington.)
