Confessions of a Shopaholic, Barefoot in the Park and other inspirational films

As I stood in my garden this evening, in my pyjamas feeling the cold snow under my bare feet, I had a sudden realisation. Why should all the fun things in life costs money? Shopping has become a pastime with magazines dedicated to fashion and even a film about it. Surely there are other things we could be doing with our time instead? For many shopping is a rush, is fun or the items bought make people feel special but there are other ways to feel good. There are the obvious endorphin release activities of sport, exercise and sex but there are other things you can do, real experiences that can break the routine and remind you that you are actually a free thinking entity that doesn’t have to follow the sleep-work-eat-tv-sleep pattern every day. When you’re caught up in the rat race, bombarded with advertising and media telling you what to eat, what to drink, what to buy and to some extent what to think; its hard to take a step back and think of things to do to prevent the monotony of modern life from taking over. When was the last time I went for a walk in the rain, jumped in puddles, admired a landscape and felt part of this big wide world we live in? Too long ago. Perhaps that should be my new year’s resolution: to think of new ways to enjoy life, to feel alive for free. Hopefully the next life affirming idea I have won’t give me frostbite.