Color Me Impulsive

Benjamin Moore colors

My friend Emily has a pathological aversion to making decisions, both major and minor. A while back, she had her kitchen remodeled — a project that spanned two and a half years. No, she hadn't hired the world's slowest contractor. It’s just that it took her forever to decide every detail — what type of cabinets she wanted (cherry, oak, maple… ); what kind of hardware for those cabinets (handles or knobs; brass, pewter, glass; round, rectangular, hexaganol… ). What kind of flooring (tile or wood?) Corian or granite counters? How large a table would fit comfortably in the allotted space? What shape? Should the chairs be padded? What appliances to choose?

Benjamin Moore Paints

She did know she wanted stainless steel, but what size refrigerator should she opt for and how many bells and whistles should it have? How large a microwave oven? Which brand of stove and dishwasher? She visited every home furnishings store within a hundred mile radius at least half a dozen times. She purchased — and exchanged everything (yes, everything) at least three times. To give you a rough idea of how she agonized over every decision, she replaced a small lock on a kitchen window (which was hidden by a blind and curtain) half a dozen times, and still wasn't happy with the final choice — or any of her final choices, for that matter. You get the picture.

Emily's computer is also terminally ill. She needs a new one. But she feels she should wait because if she buys one now, next month it will be obsolete. She's right, of course, but that will always be the case. Same deal with her dying car. It spends more time at her mechanic's repair shop than in her garage. I tell her that I hate to be the one to break the bad news, but she’s not going to live forever; so if she wants something, she should buy it now and enjoy it — not wait until she has analyzed every possible choice.

I have the opposite problem. I usually make snap impulsive decisions, some of which I later regret, I do admit. But mostly they work out pretty well. And these decisions are not based on recommendations from friends, Internet reviews, or Consumer Reports magazine. I know it's stupid; but usually if the item in question is a color I like, I whip out my credit card and seal the deal immediately.

For example, I recently bought a new laptop computer. I have no idea how much RAM or ROM it has, what its graphic capabilities are, which type of CPU it uses, what operating system… If you want to know what any of these terms mean, don't ask me. I haven't a clue. I'm sure Emily can tell you, however, She has most likely researched it all to death and could probably even build her own computer. As for me, all I really know about my new laptop is that it's very pretty — aqua, sprinkled with daisies. Fortunately, it also turned out to be very reliable and easy to use and does everything I need. And, yes, it's already obsolete.

As for my new car, it has an excellent warranty, a non-gas-guzzling engine, and a rear-view camera; but the main thing is it's fire-engine red. I fell in love with it the minute I saw it in the dealer's showroom. Easiest sale that guy ever made, I'm sure.

My new sofa and loveseat? I sure hope they’re well-constructed and sturdy. I think they’re comfortable. I did sit on them briefly before buying them, but I didn’t really compare them with any others in the store (or any other stores, for that matter) because I was afraid I’d never find that exact shade of seafoam anywhere else.

My penchant for making decisions based on color could have gotten me into big trouble when I was young. If I had ever met a man with emerald green eyes, I might have said 'I Do' without first checking if he already had a wife, a job, or a meth lab in his cellar.

Editor's Note: Rose Mula's most recent book, Grandmother Goose: Rhymes for a Second Childhood is now available as an e-book on Amazon.com for the Kindle and at Barnes and Noble.com for the Nook at $2.99; the paperback edition is still available for $9.95.

Her books of humorous essays, The Beautiful People and Other Aggravations and If These Are Laugh Lines, I'm Having Too Much Fun, can also be ordered at Amazon.com or through Pelican Publishing.

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Color Me Impulsive

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