Good Enough Is Good Enough Already, Perfectionist

People love to shop, though not everyone admits they love to shop. Why? Because they want better instead of good enough.

 

They shop for the deal, the steal, the last one in the storage room, the floor model discount, the object with the scratch no one will notice. But you notice.

 

You’ve heard every variation of buy now or regret it later. Sort of the opposite of buyer’s remorse.

 

Why the big push to buy, buy, buy from all corners?

If you’ve got one set of dishes, do you really need two? Well, of course, silly, one for every day and one set for special days.

 

I’ve got the Special Plate for everyone in my family on their birthday. It has ‘You Are Special’ printed right on it so no one can make any mistakes.

 

A regular plate wouldn’t be good enough? Not on my birthday. I want my cake on a big red plate.

 

Good Enough or Forgetful

 

Hoarders know how to do it right. If one thing isn’t good enough, get five that are all the same and it’s better. Ten more make a better ‘collection.’

 

I come from a twenty year stretch in the museum world when I talk about the frantic need to stuff every corner in the house with dust collecting knickknacks, wedding gifts over thirty years old, and memory objects.

 

Museums are full of the stuff of hoarder dreams, and none of it is good enough. For proof, consider the rankings on how objects are classified. Ooooo, museum quality.

 

The top shelf is C1, the best of the best until a better example comes along. A C1 plate is one of a kind, or belonged to an important person, or just the most unique object of it’s kind when compared to other similar pieces in the collections.

 

If you watch Antiques Roadshow you’ve heard the term ‘provenance.’ It means the history of the piece, who made it, who owned it, what it’s made of, the whole book.

 

Before you get your undies in a twist hearing the word provenance and think it’s a fancy college word used to confuse and look down on lesser beings, provenance means ‘what the hell is it and why should anyone give a good damn.’ C’mon Cletus.

 

C1 is the rare stuff we all want to see, touch, handle, take home.

 

C2 is pretty good, just not good enough to be called C1.

 

C3 is the ‘study collection’, otherwise known as the trash you could clear off the shelf and toss. Except C3 material is probably better stuff than any of us own. Hey, it’s in a museum, and museum trash is still museum quality, right?

 

Is it good enough to find a place in your personal Hall of Fame, Wall of Fame, Shelf of Fame?

 

The short answer is no. If you have no personal connection, then it doesn’t matter. Unless you’re a ‘collector’, or a hoarder.

 

When Good Enough Gets Personal

 

I’ll make the jump from the material world of objects that aren’t good enough to relationships that aren’t good enough.

 

What’s the first question that comes to mind when you take inventory of friends and family?

 

If you’re a remote character with a suspicious nature, or someone who leads a double life, or a big old phony, this isn’t for you. No one is good enough for you and you’re not good enough for anyone. At least that’s the operating premise.

 

I’m talking about people with real feelings, with a warm heart, with a kind nature, who meet people described above and wonder, ‘What’s wrong with me? They seem nice enough.’

 

If you’re open to new people and new experience, and meet Suspicious Nature guy, they automatically make you feel less than worthy. And you think it’s you when it’s them.

 

Double Life guy leaves a trail that ends in confusion, which is what they do to keep their double lives separated. You’re not supposed to know the rest of the story, just the parts they want you to know. So don’t pry too hard.

 

Big Phony covers all the bases. Like a lizard that changes colors, the blend in and you don’t.

 

Like the sweet lady who is best friends with her five ex-husbands, the young man with the well guarded private life, or the confused kid being shoe horned into what their lame parents think they should be, you are not good enough for them unless you agree.

 

If you get rejected by them, and let’s hope you do, just remember it’s them, not you.

 

You, Dear Reader, are good enough.