The farmer and his Dell

Pardon the strange beginning but it is appropriate to the story.

You see, one has to wonder, at which point in history, that the world became so disposable. Was it at the beginning of the industrial era or has it only been over the past century? Any way you slice it, the world is a pretty much made of wastefulness.

I want to take you on a journey to well over a hundred years ago, to a made up place in America where we can only suppose the characters did what I hope they did.

Back then, let's say his name is Sam, and his family were resourceful. They bought what they needed, grew what they ate and made due with what they had. Sam is a farmer and he has tools, buildings, animals and the human will to make a life for he and his family.

I can only imagine the wife making clothes for all of them. I can see Sam making tools and maintaining them to use for years. Say Sam had a hammer. Let's say Sam used it all the time until, one day, the handle split. What can Sam do? Well, he finds a piece of wood and makes a new handle. If his work pants get a hole in the knee, they get a patch.

The point is that, at one point in history, people didn't worry if they had the latest, greatest new toy. They had what they had and used it until, well, it wasn't useable anymore.

I am a victim of this modern trend just as well as everyone around me. I think about this because I took on a project the other day that seems less worth it monetarily than it would be to just give it away and buy something new.

And that is with most things I run into. Everything seems so temporary, other than people. We are all consumed with this sick idea that we need more and more to make up for... What?

So I am working toward using up what I have. I figure I have enough invested in what I have and need not invest in what I don't. I would not like to, years from now, be reading the book I bought ten years prior or finally getting around to using what I bought. I want to be active with what I have and I think everyone should take a good look around and see just what they have and ask themselves what is so important about having more.

In this modern age, with thrift stores, giveaway Web sites and craigslist, we should be more than capable of not only consuming less but shedding that which has become such an anchor around our necks.

Who knows? Maybe we could even force industry to slow down and make products that last longer or work better rather than being rushed out and failing all the time.

Peace.