When I first met my husband, I noticed he had a broken vacuum cleaner in the trunk of his car. He explained that he was taking it to get it fixed, and that he’d had it for years and years. “I didn’t know you get find anywhere to get a vacuum fixed in LA!” I said, laughing. But, my husband knew all the little hole-in-the-wall places to get almost anything fixed – from shoes to guitars, he liked to hang onto what he knew and loved, never wanting a cheap replacement unless absolutely necessary.
I thought it was way cool – this gorgeous “Hollywood” producer, driving around town to get his antiquated vacuum fixed, but truly, he’s taught me so much about taking care of what we have, and making it last. I’ve been at him to buy himself a new computer for 2 years, because the cover of his current one is broken, but he can’t understand the sense if tossing a perfectly good (admittedly slightly old,) computer out, when it still works pretty well. I must add here, that he’s not cheap! When I want or need anything, he encourages me to go for the more expensive model because he knows that it will last. If it’s the choice between a pair of super expensive classic heels and some cheap trendy knock-0ff’s, he’ll always buy me the former because he can’t bear waste. It would be abhorrent for him to see this year’s studded boots or purse in the trash can next year.
I got thinking about all this over breakfast this morning. I read Walmart’s announcement that it would be selling the iPhone for just $147. This led to a family discussion about the different generations of ipad/phone/pod/etc. My daughter interjected that many of her 11 year-old friends are asking for the new iPhone 5 this Christmas. “But some of them have the 4, right?” I asked.
“Yep, but they want the 5!”
I couldn’t hide my look of disgust. “Why?” I asked, incredulously.
“Dunno,” she said. “Guess, it’s because it has a bigger screen, it’s thinner, better camera, faster, and I guess some other stuff.”
“Huh,” I replied, amazed that she even knew all these differences. She’s not a particularly technical-minded kid, and she doesn’t spend hours on her phone texting etc. She prefers to play guitar and write exhaustive stories – but the fact that all her young friends talk and know about all this stuff is unsettling. It’s clearly a badge of honor to have newer, thinner, faster and better, and I understand that that’s probably just human nature. Some kids want the latest phone, and others want the latest pair of Nike shoes. However, it’s the waste aspect that freaks me out.
Number one is the physcial issue of e-waste – where do all these defunct devices wind up? Okay, granted, most large phone and computer manufacturers now offer an easy and supposedly responsible recycling program. Apple will give you a store credit for some old devices and dispose of them in the U.S. but what about all the other electronics that we’ll be disposing of this season when we un-wrap a shinier, newer model? Please remember that you should NEVER through electronics in your trash can. The EPA says that donating or recycling electronics is so important because we conserve natural resources and minimize water and air pollution, and even greenhouse gasses that are caused by manufacturing virgin materials. If you have any electronic that you need to get rid of, visit the eCycling Center, Call To Recycle or Earth911.Even if you are recycling, it still requires energy to do so: your personal energy, and fossil fuel energy. Way better to reduce in the first place.
Number two is the mindset issue: There is something so deeply disappointing about a new gadget. We think it’ll make us feel better, and it admittedly can serve to make our lives a little more convenient, but the novelty wears off really quickly, and our eyes eventually swivel again toward the new incarnation of that device or model. Conversely, there’s something so satisfying about hanging on to what you already have, and learning to “make-do,” – a term that I hated to hear when I was growing up. “Can you make-do with what you’ve got?” was often the question from my wonderfully frugal mom. However, as an adult, I’ve had to learn how to re-use, repair, and stretch what I have to last longer – the irony is that in doing so, there is a lasting satisfaction. As we all know, happiness does not come from getting stuff. Happiness is rather a by-product of learning to deal with life on life’s terms, which sometimes means going without.
So, these Holidays, my husband will no doubt be still tapping away on his old Mac Book, and my daughter will be tapping away on his old, old hand-me-down Mac Book (with a couple of broken keys.) I will be stirring the Christmas dinner gravy with my favorite wooden spoon covered in burn marks – favorite because it belonged to my great, great grandmother. Sometimes hanging onto the old is infinitely more satisfying than buying what advertisers tell is will bring us lasting joy!
