Tuesday's Two Cents: Crayolas and Living Simply

So I bought a box of 64 crayons while Christmas shopping.....I was at Keeton's, an  art supply store in Bradenton, and I was attracted to the display and I guess my inner child started salivating. Yesterday I finally had the chance to open the box and look inside.  I was surprised at my reaction......you see, all my childhood I usually had the box of 8 crayons, sometimes 16, and rarely, the box of 24.  I must have been thrilled with the 24 I imagine, and here I was a half century later with a brand new box of 64 crayons. I smiled to myself and just took a second to view all those wonderful colors!  Where was my coloring book????  Anyway, I was planning to color out a quilt pattern I was thinking about, so I reached for red.  First I picked brick red.  Then I picked strawberry red.  All I wanted was plain ole red.  I settled for something and went to find blue.  Same experience, only now I chose coneflower blue first.  I found the regular blue on the second try.  Same thing happened when I wanted yellow.  I decided I would have to find a container to put all the crayons into so I could more easily find what color I wanted, but I didn't do it then, nor yet.  I don't want to disturb the lovely presentation of all those colors.  It occurred to me that maybe I was happier with fewer crayons.  Not so many choices to make.  Maybe not.  I realized this was more than about crayons though.  It was about having more than I needed.  Kind of like having the bungalow, or the apartment, versus the McMansion.  Or a closet full of clothes, most of which hang there waiting, because we usually select our favorites over and over again.  Then this thought morphed into the "grass is always greener" story.  A box of crayons, most wished for as a  child, no longer holds the magic I assigned to it back then.  Maybe it never did.  Maybe it was more of a symbol of being better off.......having more than I needed?  Maybe I thought as a child it would somehow improve me, or my image to others?  Maybe I would feel like I "belonged" with all the others I knew who usually had the 64 crayon box.  Maybe I just coveted more for the sake of more.  A lot to think about.  I'm relieved to say, though, that a half century later I'm well past it,have been for some time,  and I don't mean just with crayons.  A simpler life is fine.........but maybe, for me and for some of you too, you have to have the bigger and better, before you realize all you really wanted was the simple. Simple makes you free to be the person you want to be, the one you already are.  Simple opens up avenues you never imagined, because things are not keeping you.   It's funny how a box of crayons can remind us of the value of simplicity.  Today I'll find a plastic little container, and dump out the crayons so I can really use them.  I guess I won't be tempted to get the bigger box again anytime soon.  I am reminded of the wonder of simplicity.  How about you?