Me thinks there is a substantial percentage of American consumers, who are so gullible they pay outrageous prices for routine items. Of course, my daughters are in that group. To me, a handbag or wallet fulfills a need. To them, it is a fashion statement. So I ask you: when was the last time you ogled someone’s wallet at the store checkout? When was the last time you coveted someone’s choice of paper towels or toilet paper? When was the last time you envied someone’s plastic bottle of water?
This week, I was early to an appointment, so I entered a designer grocery–the kind which caters to folk with more money than sense. I perused the inflated prices: boneless, chicken breasts at $5.99 a pound, broccoli crowns at $4.99 a pound, and the deli was serving $10 a cup coffee. I found this curious as the day before I paid $1.47 a pound for boneless chicken breasts. Obviously, something is seriously wrong with my palate. Chicken is chicken. Beef, however, is another matter. (Ribeye steaks are far superior to round steak.)
Yet, the most outrageous item I saw on my adventure was one, peeled navel orange in a plastic container. It’s price: $6.00! Had I known folk were so gullible, I would have picked my plentiful oranges, peeled and contained them, and undercut the price by one dollar. Damn! I’d be wealthy! Maybe, next year.
A few weeks ago, I shared the story of Bob, my current cabana boy. Bob and his burly dog, Max moved into my guest house over a year ago. For a year, Max only ventured outside when my dogs were in the house. If they happened to see him, they’d chase him back through his doggy door. They’d gnash their teeth if they spied him through the sliding glass door. I would go and visit Max; I felt sorry for him, for his dad was gone much of the time. He spent endless hours alone–unhealthy for a pack animal. Dogs want to belong.
Dr. Suze Espouses 