I have no problem with that. I like knife and sword stores. I get completely ignored. In order to actually get anything I want, I have to bring a guy in order to get the employees to even talk to me.

I should also say that my dad likes to look. He has very good taste in jewelry. He doesn't go in to look anymore now. My mother has taken to watching t.v. shopping stores and buying her jewelry from the t.v.

And mine is that lives are more important than materialism or admiring nice things, especialy in the case of the brutal diamond trade. As I said, just my humble & I ain't tellin' noone to follow my conviction, was just giving my answer to the topic at hand;^]

Actually, I avoid diamonds for that reason. And alot of stones for similar reasons. I'm more fond of the semi-precious stuff that looks so much prettier.

But then, I'm a magpie and any shiny sparkly thing catches my attention.

I remember shopping for an engagement ring for my ex fiance, ended up buying a $30 ring at walmart. It meant just as much to her as a high dollar ring would have, and man I'm an arse for letting her slip away;^]

Making a difference in one person's life is better than nothing. My mom does work for a buddist organization called tzu chi which was started by Master Cheng Yen. One of Cheng Yen's inspirations was upon visiting a hospital she found out that a pregnant woman had a miscarriage and because she couldn't afford the cost of the hospital they had to carry her back up the mountain. In the beginning in 1966 her 30 followers saved 50 cents a day and helped 15 families. Since then she helped to found a free hospital in Taiwan and within 15 years that clinic has had over 140,000 consultations.

Since the humble beginnings starting with 30 followers there are now organizations in Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Phillipines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, every region of the US (NE, midwest, South, north west, midatlantic), Canada, France, UK, Germany, Netherlands, South Africa, Brazil, Guatemala, Dominican and many more. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say her efforts have touched millions of lives around the world.

How's that for a statement for a woman to make?

I'm not saying that everyone has to devote their lives in this manner but it just shows you that one person can inspire others and their actions, like a small pebble dropped in a large pond it creates ripples that can reach the very edge of that pond.

But back to the original post. I don't need to buy expensive things to make myself feel good. Just the way I was brought up. My dad was a doctor with a private practice, he was making about 1/4 million a year after tax and expenses, we never owned a car worth more than 30K, he had a 10K wedding gift rolex but wore a 10 dollar K mart timex. If a patient couldn't afford to pay my dad would never refuse medical service. When he passed away people still remember him and tell my mom how wonderful he was. People don't remember you for what you wore or what you had, they remember what you did.

Exactly, and just to add that when it a persons time is up all those expensive luxury items won't have done any good;^]

one cannot compare a women's large actions and the wearing of jewelry, all i'm saying is that you can wear jewelry and help the starving at the same time.

That's the point, what is the difference? Not everyone that glamorizes themselves are prudes.

Maybe its just like (some) women don't like auto part stores...

IDK...

Pretty much. I'm not saying that liking jewelry is bad. Most guys don't wear much jewelry and so they aren't particularly enthusiastic about going into a jewelry store. However if a lady has a thing for mohawks I think I know a guy who'd love to go jewelry shopping with the ladies here. Except you might have to quit yer jibba jabba first.

I'm just making the point that there are 2 ways to satisfy your material wants. Buy things you want, or desire fewer material things. I think people get too caught up in wanting things. I used to subscribe to video game magazines and I'd buy a new game like once a month, once I stopped paying attention to the ads and game reviews I bought far fewer games, like maybe 1-2 a year. I used to have a subscription to maxim and mens health and I'd want all those nice clothes, now that I don't read those mags I find that I don't even care to have those things.

If I want something, I wait a few days, if I still really want something then maybe I'll go buy it, usually after the initial impulse is over I end up not even caring that much. I used to shop all the time and I'm just learning how to rehab from it.

Who said they were? I was just saying that in my humble it's a waste of money and that's why I hate jewelry stores and expensive jewelry in general. Just my humble;^]

wow this is a very odd topic people talking about how much they hate jewelry stores....geeee maybe I shouldnt say it now but I work at one and have for almost 10 years now...theres tons of men that comes in them and tons of ladies...I understand the view of it being a waste of money to some but then there is the view that it makes someone feel loved and it has many different symbols in life its not all about the money trust me there is alot of emotions that go into it also but to each their own with out different views the world would be very boring...hugs to everyone

Ahhh, sounds like lame excuses. I have yet to meet a man that is afraid to go into a jewelry story with me.

I am an experienced shopper when it comes to jewelry. My dad was a wholesale jeweler and my grandfather worked for a big name watch manufacturer.

If a man goes into a jewelry store with me, he should not be afraid. The people behind the counter should be afraid!

Who says it has to be expensive? It is all about what you can afford and appreciate.

And for the record, I do like auto parts stores. Gonna pimp the war wagon one day.

M