Am I a bad person?

[wendykh]

So I was reading the entire internet today while trying to make a brochure, and came across
this gem about how this woman's mother gave her $112K of jewellery, some of it nice, some obnoxious, to pass onto the children.. and meanwhile her kitchen is a health and safety violation. So she writes this columnist to ask "can I sell just a few pieces?" and everyone tears her apart.

WTF.

I think a clean, safe, and healthy kitchen is much more useful than gaudy jewellery to me and the kids both but that's just me. Further, I don't believe anyone needs $112K in jewels. That, to me, is a serious mismanagement of priorities. What's going to happen when it's time for college? "Oh yeah, you have this blingtastic necklace your grandmother purchased in the 1970s, but you still need to go to community college since yk, it would break her heart."

I guess I'm terrible because it wouldn't even occur to me to have any sort of moral complex about this at all. I don't think I'd even question myself about it, let alone anyone else. Now if I sold ALL of it, sure, that's not cool. But how about saving a few tasteful pieces, and doing something useful with the rest.

I should also add I'm a firm believer in "once you give a gift, it's no longer yours, so you no longer have a say in what is done with it."

What do you all think?

Comments

[molehill.livejournal.com]

I completely agree with you.

[alohamelly.livejournal.com]

Ditto.

[sourdick.livejournal.com]

When my grandma died, she left an outrageous amount of jewelery to my mom. My mom kept all of it, but since she has no daughters, she straight up told me "When I die, give this ring to your brothers daughter, this one to the other daughter, the bracelet to my sister, and the rest.. just sell it.. who cares?"

[70schild.livejournal.com]

I will never understand how people will hold onto something valuable yet suffer in other areas of their lives.

I mean, even the mom in the story was hurting financially and held onto them. Doesn't make a lick of sense.

So yeah - I agree with you. And if it's worth THAT much, then save one piece for each kid, get rid of the rest, make everyone's lives easier NOW.

[marybethorama.livejournal.com]

I'm with you

[sherina.livejournal.com]

Totally. If there's something that's particularly sentimental or that you'll actually wear, keep it but if selling the tacky stuff that you'll never wear is going to improve your life, SELL IT.

But don't get me started on the whole concept of "I gave this to you, you must keep it forever" mentality. That drives me crazy. I've had to get George to loosen up a bit because his mother is like that. She gave me a suit jacket that no longer fit her and I actually had to accept it with a smile and never tell her that I immediately stuck it in my Salvation Army box. Unless I get a role on a new incarnation of Miami Vice I will never wear a white suit jacket, but she's like that.