"I spent the first 2/3 of my life acquiring stuff that doesn't matter only so that I can spend my last 1/3 getting rid of it. What a stupid game of consumerism we play"
And in some way... we all know this...
"You can't take it with you"...
"We are born with nothing and leave this earth with nothing."
Yet, we continue to teach our kids that it's a game in which "Whoever crosses the finish line with the most, wins." Really?
And I get the truth at the heart of this meme too... we need "stuff" in order to live our life. Unless we want to be itinerate hobos with no home, no stuff. Which is always a possibility. And because we are born with nothing... we need to get "stuff".
As we approach the later years of life, we recognize that we can't take this "stuff" with us. But the sad truth is... no one wants our "stuff". We chose it because it fit us and our lifestyle and the consumerist trends current when we bought it.
But... newsflash... china cabinets are no longer de rigeur. No one wants the china cabinet. No one wants the precious china that was soooo expensive and a "collector's item". No one wants the fancy embroidered table cloths. Nope... not even if the china is Royal Doulton or the cabinet is solid walnut.
I do have hope for the younger generation. They at least recognize that the walnut china cabinet is not something that will add value to their lives. It is just one more massive piece of furniture taking up space in a tiny apartment that will never hold china that is never used. It serves no useful function. Don't want it. Don't need it. Would the younger generation want the china cabinet if they could afford bigger homes? Somehow I doubt it. They don't want to be tied down. They don't want the mortgage and the 9 to 5 jobs.
But then I think of the teens today... they do buy things. Lots of clothing. Lots of make-up and jewelry. At least the girls. But maybe the boys too. What will happen when they fly the coop and move into their own apartments, likely shared with multiple roommates? Will they go out and buy new furniture? Probably not. Will they grab free stuff off the side of the road, or for cheap off of Facebook Marketplace and thrift stores... probably.
Maybe this meme is really a testament to the Boomers and Generation X. Maybe this meme will have no relevance to younger generations. Perhaps because they will have been collecting experiences and not things? I hope so. Or maybe they will only purchase stuff "that matters". Perhaps they will be immune to the siren call of tchotchkes? Perhaps they will be able to distinguish what "matters" and what doesn't matter. I hope so.
In the meantime... Minimalism is trending, the Joy of Tidying Up is a thing, and the Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning has its own Facebook group. Go figure. Declutter, purge, let go... because we can't take it with us. And no one wants our stuff.
No comments:
Post a Comment