needs -vs- wants

So today I decided to go to the cafeteria because I was craving French fries.  Not something I usually indulge in but they actually don’t mess up the fries so I went for it.  Added a little old bay which is 1 of a very few things that makes me a Baltimorean, because as we all know I am a Pittsburgher at heart for always and forever!  So on this day they are doing a health fair.  As a lowly contractor none of these services are for me, but I saw the green and red Aetna bags and I had to do a lot of inner self talk to try and talk myself out of it.  After I inhaled my fries and wings I did a quick once over of the room.  Well immediately I saw a table with the little mini candies.  I can’t even tell you what they were pushing at that table because all I wanted was the candy.  And then I spotted mints, but this time the overly hyped fitness center guy also gave me a coupon for free work outs for 2 weeks.  I didn’t have the heart to tell him I was a contractor so I took the coupon and some mints.  I then decided to see what other goodies the tables had.  I have been on all points  of this ‘giveaway’ spectrum.  I have been the person who orders all of the stuff for potential clients and members.  I have organized closets of said stuff ordered by others because they forgot what they ordered and really how many golf towels does one ever really need.  I have been on the receiving end and I still contend that technical job fairs give the best stuff!  And now I am on the compliance end where I track what was ordered, who it was given to and why.  So I know the game people… I know it!  And no matter how many festivals, fairs, or whatevers I go to, if they have a bag, I want it!!  I don’t need it and, it is usually flimsy but I still want it.  I can talk myself out of pens and pencils, but I have not yet been able to talk myself out a free bag.  At the Essence festival this past July I stood in countless lines to get a free bag.  I am a self-proclaimed free bag whore!!  I’m also not shy about asking for a free bag.  I signed up for my IRA and they had these insulated slightly bigger and a lunch bag, bag and I asked the lady at the front What do I have to do to get one of these bags?  And she said well how many do you want?!? She gave me 3.  I worked at an association that was about to throw away their conference bags because the mostly men doctors thought they were too feminine.  I tapped up those boxes and took them for a family reunion I had that year.  Talk about a perk!! I closed an office because they were moving to Florida (I have quite literally worked EVERYWHERE)  and there were random bags around the office and I think I took just about all of them!  At a wine festival as I chatted with a group that had VIP entrance I said well all I want is that wine bag and one of the ladies took her stuff out of the bag and gave it to me.  So yeah writing all of this down I should be ashamed, but I’m so not!!  Sorority bags?!?  Forget about it! Sometimes I sign up for conferences just to get the bag! I still want the shiny bag they had at last year’s National Founders day, but I haven’t found the right soror who I know has more stuff than she knows what to do with AND is willing to give it to me.  I have a soror cousin who happened upon some bags (LOL) and I was the recipient AND I didn’t even have to go to that conference!!  I am still trying to find the person here where I work who has the key to the computer bags that I see a few people have.  Today I am the proud owner of a bright yellow/green Aetna backpack!  I almost made it out of the cafeteria but I looked at and it’s not because I needed it, I just wanted it!