A few years ago, more like several years ago, when DSTV used to come in only C Band, with dishes like UFO vessels, and costing close to a 100k for an installation, I splashed almost 2 months’ salary on one. With promises of like 45 video channels and 21 audio channels, I thought boredom was banished forever. These were the days of the NITEL phone, and I was also one of the lucky few that had one in my house.
A few weeks after the DSTV was installed, I found that I barely had time for it. Spending 12 hours a day at work, and only a few hours before sleep induced oblivion sets in, I can only sit in front of the TV for maybe 2 hours at a time. One day, coming back from work, I thought to myself, I have this dish in my house costing me an arm and a leg every month, and I hardly watch it. So that night, a Friday evening, I decided I will watch my money’s worth of that DSTV, So I refused to go to sleep that night. I watched TV till day break, and I felt justified.
Then after a few days I realized once again that since I bought the state of the art Sony entertainment system, I had only listened to it on Saturday afternoons. So I started putting it on every evening whether I am asleep or awake.
Now this was several years ago, and I didn't have a lot of things as possessions then. Now I think maybe I have too many. And my mind goes to things I don’t even remember that I have anymore;
- HI-Fi system that has not even been installed in 2 years since bought
- Dual view decoder that only gets used once in a month or so if I am lucky
- TV set in almost every room that you never even put on
- Shoes you have not worn in months
- Clothes you see and wondered where they have been
I look in my wardrobe and I shake my head at the clothes I will never wear again. The western world will promptly get rid of these things, but in this part of the world, we tend to generally hoard them. We go to parties and fight to get souvenirs that are essentially space grabbers. We never use them; they are just in a store gathering dust.
I think we simply should spend less time acquiring and more time enjoying. Instead of struggling to have a 4-door, an SUV and a truck, perhaps I am just going to stick to one car at a time, and enjoy that till I am tired of it, then trade it in and buy another one.
Perhaps if we reduce our drive for acquiring stuff, we will be less desperate and more able to enjoy the ones that we have. What do you think?
Agree, I'm going for experience's now, a trip here and there. Something different now and again.
ReplyDeleteWatch a play, run in the fields. The long and short of it if i must buy it would be experience.
@Femi, Is this because we are growing older or what?
ReplyDeleteI am not quite sure that the realization that the stuff we acquire do not generally amount to much in the long run dawns on us as we grow older because if it did, we won't still have so many folks way past their 40s continuing in this meaningless quest to get more and more, I guess we have (and perhaps are still) all been guilty of this tendency but for me personally, I am glad to say I have worked pretty hard at not falling into that trap anymore and my life has been all the better for it. I agree with Femi that focusing on the very few things that really matter makes much more sense than throwing away good money over things that really add no value. I now make a ritual of overhauling my stuff every 6 months, and whatever has not been used in that time, I simply give away,,,and the great thing is that I no longer even feel that need to hang on to them. Maybe we should always ask the question "when is enough, enough?"...a question that we debated during a leadership programme about eight years ago and which has since kept me grounded whenever that urge to grab some more sets in. By the way Folarin you probably need just one car..albeit a very nice one!
ReplyDeleteIfey, you said the question of when is enough, enough? was asked and discussed at a leadership programme you attended. What was the landing? How did you solve that puzzle? It will be beneficial if you can share perhaps.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I have only one car... and I am very reluctant to change. It drives well, it is comfortable, and I am struggling to see why I should buy another one for 10mill or so... (the cost of a ford explorer, Honda pilot, and the rest of those exotic things, and don't even mention a GL 450).
I guess the purpose of the question was not to reach a landing but rather to get people introspecting by bringing to the fore issues we generally do not consciously consider. Ultimately, each and everyone has to answer that question subjectively...the bottom line in my opinion, empty-handed we came and empty-handed we shall all leave.
ReplyDeleteI can so relate with this. A few months ago, it was difficult finding some of my clothes. My wardrobe was filled up and clothes were even spilling out. One weekend, i tried rearranging and got tired of folding clothes that were bound to get scattered in a few days.
ReplyDeleteI simply grabbed a big bag and started stuffing it till it was full. I did the same for my shoes too. It was very fulfilling to give them out, many of the items were in perfect condition by the way. Now I can see all of my stuff in one view with less searching.