The Total Cost of a New Addiction
A Day in the Life of Me!
From The Smoke Files
By Melissa Ann Quartermouse, 2006
The Total Cost of a New Addiction…
I’m someone who believes that I do my best to take care of my family, and I try to always put their needs before my own. So how did I go so wrong? It all started on a lovely bright day when I decided to be trendier. I watched commercials of happy housewives and bright shining days, and of the irresistible male amid all the women. I loved the idea of the old tried and true company having a wonderful new scent, and I was a firm believer that aromatherapy is a truly valuable solution to stress levels. So why not spice up my ordinary, much despised, chore of laundry? I searched until I found it. THE ONE. It smelled sweetly of lavender and vanilla, and I was in love at first whiff. I like nothing better than for someone to tell me I smell good, and with my husband’s whispered “You smell cuddly.” I felt a happy sigh in my heart caused by the sweetness of such a compliment! Boy did that end quick! I’ve learned the hard way that this type of feel-good product can be hazardous to my finances. I don’t mean the prices, which of course can be a little expensive; I felt it was worth it! So, I’ll enlighten you as to what happened when my addiction grew. I started with the softener, I quickly went to the dryer sheets, and then I made a beeline for the long-awaited detergent. I was in hog heaven! I washed all the clothing, the linens, and even the curtains. I hid dryer sheets in between couch cushions, in my car, and in the dresser drawers. Everything smelled wonderful!
2 weeks later…
I got home from work after a normal exhausting day. I’m up at 7 am, go to work at 2 pm for eight physically active hours, shower, and go to sleep at 2 am, and this is my normal routine. But I arrived home from work to hear my mother-in-law, who so kindly keeps my children for me as I work, tell me of a strange rash on my 5-year-old sons back and it was spreading! I waited a day to see to see if it would go away and instead it worsened. I took off work and took him to the Dr, and mid-way through the calm and precise account of the benefits of a costly allergy medication. It hit me! The detergent. I explained and she agreed. The solution? Take a day off from work, apply medicine and wash everything he might come in contact within a dye and perfume free detergent. How crushed I felt, nothing to smell??? But like a trooper I went home and did as I was told! After a day more exhausting than the one I would have spent at work, I sat down to total up the cost.
Detergent I loved: $8.99. Softener: $3.99. Dryer Sheets: $2.99. Doctors Visit: $60. OTC Medicine: $6. Water: $20. Unpaid day off: $127. New movie and Happy Meals from McDonalds $20. New laundry supplies with *sniff* no smell: $8. Angry boss:? Hugs and Kisses for tears, scratching, and accusing looks for an illness I caused: ?. Complete exhaustion: Total: $256.97, and a new guilt complex! And after all this, I just have one question:
Got an aromatherapy for that?
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