Shopping List

 Every person's shopping list is different. A mother's shopping list is different from a girl in her teen's shopping list. Miranda was no exception. Miranda Hiller was a 16 year old girl who just wanted her life to start already. She'd fantasized about life in the big city and having everything she desired. In her room, she had posters of the New York City, Paris, London, all the major cities that she dreamed of going to. On top of that her father bought her everything she ever wanted. She had it all, laptop, new phone, latest tech, everything! Her family would feed into the shopping addiction she had. 

      Miranda was a self-centered, self-absorbed girl who didn’t have a care for any other person. She only cares about herself and her family or at least that’s what she says. Her needs were big and everyone somehow managed to meet them. If they didn’t, all hell would break loose.

     Christamas was around the corner and Miranda had really high hopes for this Christmas. Her shopping list was in fact very long and very expensive. On it, one could find something from the most expensive store in Los Angeles, the latest Apple product that was going to hit the market, all these new things that she didn’t need but had to have. She didn’t care about the cost or how it would affect the people around her, she just had to have it. 

    “Daddy, here’s my list of Christmas must-haves, I expect to see them on the 25th,'' said Miranda.

    “Who made this list, you or your mother,” responded Mr. Hiller.

   “You really think that old bag needs the new Iphone 11 max pro daddy? Of course not! She’s like a million years old, don’t make hideous jokes like that, you might offend someone,” said Miranda. 

   “Seriously Miranda, here we go again with these huge demands. The madness will never end will it. And you just keep feeding her dad! She’s a selfish little brat who doesn’t deserve any of these items,” mentioned Miranda’s older brother Joshuan to their dad. 

   “Oh shut up Josh, you’re just jealous because I’m daddy’s favorite,” said Miranda. 

   “Jealous? Of you?! Never in a million years. You’re the ugliest person I’ve ever met, inside and out.” 

   “You take that back right now!”

   “I won’t because even if you know it’s true.”

   “No, it’s not! I love everything and everyone”

   “Even you know that’s a damned lie”

   “Kids kids, enough. That's enough!”

   “He started it!”

   “Did not”

   “Did too”

   “ENOUGH!! I have had enough of you two fighting and arguing over nothing, to your rooms now”

    Miranda and Joshua both scattered to their rooms in fear of their father. But joshua did have a point. Miranda was ugly, inside and out. She did nothing for her community, nothing for her family nothing no no one except herself. Miranda of course didn't know this, she thought she was the most perfect child. Never doing a wrong and always doing good by others.

     “God I can’t believe him, he’s so, ugh I hate him,'' exclaimed Miranda. 

   Miranda didn’t know the value of kindness, she didn’t know the definition, let alone the value. Purely based on her shopping list, we could automatically see that she wasn’t like other people. She almost didn’t seem human. How could one have so much narcissism within themselves. Miranda was never going to find complete happiness. She was always going to have this false idea of happiness. Never really finding the true meaning of it. It was a sad realization that she hadn’t come yet. 

   “Daddy, I am going to get everything on my list?”

    “We’ll see sweetheart.”

   “What kind of response is that I expect these things. I’m telling you that I’ll be getting this stuff, I’m not asking you.”

  “You’re not getting anywhere with that attitude.”

  “I’m going everywhere, I’m loved by all and I’m going to make it far and you’ll see.” 

   Miranda didn’t comprehend what she was saying. She really truly thought she was in the right. She’s not willing to let go of her ego to see the real meaning of everything she’s doing. 

“Dad, I don’t think miranda has ever said I’m sorry to you, mom, me or anyone. How sad is that,” said Joshua.

“Well son, what can I say, she’s that way and she’s never going to stop being that way. There’s not much I can do. When the time comes, she’ll realize that she’s been in the wrong the entire time. In the end it is her that’s going to come crashing down. She’s never going to understand the full value of her life or of anything that she’s ever going to have. She can have all these big hopes, dreams and aspirations but in the end, it is her who is going to have to live with herself and suffer many great things. She’s never going to be happy with what she has and she’s never going to know what happiness feels like. I feel bad for her, I do, but there;s no turning back for her. As much as it may pain you, your mother and I, she’s not going to change ever,” said Mr. Hiller.

   “I guess you’re right dad, what a sad way to live the rest of your life,” exclaimed Joshua.

   Little did they both know that Miranda was listening the whole time. Teary eyed, she ran to her room and looked at herself in the mirror, mortified at the person that was staring back at her. She looked at her shopping list and then at the mirror. She didn’t know what to say or how to react to everything that was happening. She just felt this overwhelming sense of sadness wash over her entire body. She said nothing and just continued staring at her list. She sat there for hours just staring at her list. Disgusted at the paper and at the person she’d turned into. She just sat and stared.