With the pandemic, people are starting to think a little more. Maybe they will start using their minds to really live? One of the questions I was asked recently is: If you could only own 100 items what would you keep?
The thought that crossed my mind is what kind of life would you be asked to live? Life in the city would be very different than a life trying to survive in the wilderness. What you would keep depends entirely upon what conditions one would be required to survive in.
This idea however did open new doors for me. Because I have reason to believe there is a lot of waste in this world, and some of it could be reduced or eliminated in whole. How? Better community.
If we had better library’s and community entertainment centers, a lot of people could do just as much and still thrive. There is a lot to consider with this. If communities had public entertainment centers, people could make better use of recreation and learning.
Just something to consider. Back to the original question, what 100 items would you keep? That depends entirely upon what makes you happy. Some people would be happy having a table and chairs in their list of possessions. If you ask me, the question is absurd. It is something to think about, but its only something to feed your head with the question of what makes you happy.
For me, having a musical instruments, a camera, a computer, books, and someplace to sleep all matters; yet, having a table and chairs is a necessity.
In my opinion a less absurd question is how could you consume less in your life? How much do you consume in your life that is either not used, or wasted? I know where my weak points are. There is a habit of using SBUX for fuel, and cigarettes to keep my head clear.
Then there is the issue of how much sprite I intake on a daily basis. While my consumption of coffee, cigarettes, and sprite is high; one thing I have in my favor is that my output is also very high. On average I’m writing 3000 words a day and taking about 50 photos.
But really, think about how you could consume less in your daily life. We are still going to drink our coffee, and smoke cigarettes. But I have things in my life that have lasted over 20 years. I still have the sofa I bought when I moved into my first apartment. Most of what I have is belongings that have lasted more than five years. I like to take care of my stuff.
One of the problems is that getting good quality stuff isn’t easy. Most of what is made these days isn’t made to always last. It is a problem with our society these days. A lot of what we have is made to be thrown away and replaced in a short period of time. I think this is a problem. Life has to get better and right quick.
If you are going to make a product, make it beautiful, make it last.
Photo Credit: Photo by LOGAN WEAVER on Unsplash