The clothing industry has happiness all figured out.

My friend Ashlee is going into the MTC soon and she was in the area, searching in vain for a mid-calf length dress. She asked me to go shopping with her at some of the big department stores. We spent a couple hours and she tried on tons of really cute dresses, but none of them were long enough to take on the mission. I don't know what she's going to do if she doesn't find one soon!

I have clothes shopping, mostly because the industry doesn't seem to believe in making cute clothes in plus sizes. If I want to dress like I'm fifty and wear huge gawdy flowers and hideous colors, I can find plenty of things to buy. Otherwise, it becomes a lot harder. Needless to say, I don't go shopping very often.

As we were traipsing aroudn the mall, I suddenly had this huge desire to buy something myself, to find cute clothes and great jewelry. I wanted to have hundreds of dollars to blow and a great body that would look great in whatever I tried on. I was mourning the fact that I didn't have money and starting to feel really miserable.

Then it hit me how stupid it all is. These people that design the clothes are trying to make all their money by making us feel bad about ourselves. "You're not stylish enough. Come buy from us." "You're too fat. Lose some weight and then you can buy our ultra cute clothes!" "Look how happy all the girls on the posters are. Buy from us and be as happy as they are!" What a load of bull! Clothes do NOT make you happy. Real happiness comes from the inside, not the outside. And no amount of having or spending money can give you peace if you can't find it through the life that you lead. They spoon-feed us lies designed to drag us down. I don't want to buy into them anymore.