Our assignment on the vice of Avarice was to attempt to come up with a monetary value of all of our clothes. While I'm sure this number is nowhere close to what is actually is, my best estimate (excluding shoes) is around $500. I recently cleaned out all my old clothes and donated them to Goodwill, or else that number would have been higher. If you include my shoes, the number goes up to about $1,000 - not that I have a lot of shoes, they are just pretty expensive (especially my soccer shoes.)
The reason I am including my shoes is because of my personal story that I will relate to my experience with Avarice.
On Saturday night, my wife and I spent the day at Two Keys Tavern with some friends for the UK Basketball game. We had been there from 3PM in order to have a table, and it was a very long day - especially when it got extremely crowded with belligerent fellow fans.
When the game came on, we moved inside where there was a better view of the TV, but we were pack in like sardines. I was wearing my newest jacket (which I payed $25 for) and my newest pair of shoes ($40).
Throughout the whole night, people were stepping on my feet and spilling beer and other drinks on my shoes and pants.
As Aaron Harrison hit the winning 3-pointer to win the game, the whole crowd went nuts, and suddenly there was beer flying and spilling and people screaming. It was crazy.
As Tessa and I made it out (we were having a lot of fun with everybody) and walking back to our car, I noticed something on my shoulder. It was a beer (and whatever else) soaked napkin that had landed perfectly on my jacket.
Although I was enjoying that we won and were going to the championship, I was worrying about my shoes and my jacket being stained from the beer.
It worried me more than it should.
Aquinas defines greed as the opposite of generosity, or "liberality." I felt imprisoned by my beer-stained shoes and jacket! I was worrying about how I was going to get the stain and smell out of my new clothes! I was caring too much for them.
I am probably not suffering from Avarice as one of my main character vices, but this did make me think about how I saw my new things - eventually they are going to get dirty, but they will still serve their function. Plus, I have more jackets and more shoes, and much more than most other people in the world.
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