Scratches and food stains and nicks, oh my!

I'm so frustrated. My sunglasses have a scratch on them, right where I need to look straight ahead. I can't go around with that blurred spot right in front of me. And to top it all off, I just bought these a few days ago.

I'm really, really annoyed. My new shoes are scuffed at the toe. This happened the second day I wore them.


My husband's only suit has a stain on it that didn't come out with dry cleaning.

A purse I had for a few weeks came apart at the seams. Well, at one seam.

A new cardigan from Target got a hole in the armpit the first time I washed it.

My brand new bike looks ten years old after a rainstorm made it rust.

I'm putting duct tape on shoe heels, taping pages in library books, replacing batteries far more often than I should...why can't anything just stay "nice"?

I don't know if I should start spending more money on products of higher quality, or just protect my belongings more vigilantly from wear and tear. I just hate the feeling I get when I see that first sign of use on something new and costly. Even if it's no costly, I feel like I have thrown money away on it if it gets marked up somehow. I will replace the sunglasses, even if I just bought this pair, because I can't stand to wear them with a scratch on them. I will donate my kid's dress if it has a yellow paint stain on it.

Like people who shop in thrift stores want the stain any more than I do.

I wrote a post on this not long ago. Then, I was able to identify stains as evidence of a story. Or two. But when I get a scuffed heel or a torn strap, I just feel so...helpless. The cycle of buying, using, and replacing seems so repetitive. And since I don't have the time or talent to fix these things myself, they just go out the revolving door of goods that leave my house and then seem to find their way back in later, albeit in different forms.

So maybe I should stop sending them out. Maybe I should wear scuffed shoes and stained blouses to work. Why not? What's the big deal? Apparently, scratches and food stains and nicks make the wearer/bearer appear to be careless. Or lazy. Or poor. We want to make a good impression, so we hide these imperfections when they occur, or we dispose of them.

I don't know what the solution is. I have had shoes from both Payless and DSW break after only a few weeks of wear. The only brand of shoes that lasts for years and years, at least for me, is Naturalizer. This is not a plug--just my experience.

I guess I should go on Pinterest and look for those DIY cleaning and repair tips. You know, where every problem is solved with vinegar.

Until then, maybe all these scratches and stains and tears are telling me to slow down, pay more attention, and take care. Maybe they're telling me I'm too hard on myself. Or...maybe they're telling me to stop trying to avoid the unavoidable and enjoy what I have. Period.