picked the busiest Saturday ever, it seemed, to trek out to the shops. There were people everywhere. People and children, and trolleys… and more children {including my own curious toddler}.
I stood in line at the checkout with every man and their toddler, and patiently waited my turn. The older lady in front of me queued with her daughter and grandchild. I like to people watch, and I often get lost in other people’s conversations. It’s a naughty habit I have. I’m an observer, through and through.
I watched the lady look over her surroundings. She scanned through the bins beside the aisles, in other people’s trolleys and all around her and then held her hand to her chest. “I feel sick,” she gasped.
I took a step back for fear of being vomited on. I was struggling to handle the crowds, but vomit would have tipped me over the edge.
“Look at all this stuff,” the lady said to her daughter, gesturing at the items upon items of… stuff, “What’s happening to the world? There’s just so much stuff.”
I’d never thought of it the way she was. I’d looked at everything as potential purchases. As I saw items on shelves I asked myself, “Do I need or want that?”
The answer was either yes or no, and then I moved on to see the next thing, the next potential purchase.
Where I grew up, we didn’t have as many stores as I have now. Life was simpler, not only because I was a child… and life is always simpler without the responsibilities of adulthood, but because there was so much more to do than shop.
I looked around and all I could see was consumerism. Trolleys filled to the brim of things people probably didn’t really need. Unessential packaging, plastic upon plastic, upon plastic. The woman had a point, and felt a sense of guilt as I looked at the items in my hands. The toddler cutlery set, I didn’t really need and the tool set I could probably do without. But instead of walking away, I moved forward with the rest of the herds of people.
Moving forward, but moving backwards… really.
Do you ever look at it like that? Do you try to buy less, and use little?
Yes!! It is funny – I tend to move through phases of stripping down and then back to getting caught up in consumerism.
We just moved back to Oz and since our things arrived I have been overwhelmed by the amount of “stuff” we have!! In particular, I realised that I survived pretty easily with just one suitcase full of clothes and now I have 4 more plastic tubs full of clothes that I have no where to put (our rental has shockingly little storage).
This gave me the idea that I'd like to organise a fundraiser & clothes swap with mums at my son's primary. I figured that if everyone donated $5 and brought some clothes, we could donate the proceeds and unwanted clothing items to Vinnies or the Salvos.
Absolutely! I was watching a show a few months ago about the UK and they were talking about how much meat a factory prepares and sells. Then they moved onto other supplies for the supermarkets. As well as the logistics of it all.
I felt sick too, as I thought about this system for Tesco (or whatever it was) and sort of did some dodgy hypothetical maths…this happens for thousands upon thousands of shops across the world.
I wondered how on earth we've gone so far in the wrong direction.
My husband and I don't have children yet but we're making changes for ourselves and planning to pass them on. I think if we have to instil a new attitude in our children.
Yes, Telle, we have simplified and stopped shopping in big box, department, hardware, thrift stores. We do eat so groceries are a need.
Husband and I live in 542 sq feet (50 sq m) and take care of two neighborhood toddlers five days a week too. Space is precious and the earth's resources are running out in places.
Yes I'm constantly aware of this, not necessarily in a good way. Just once when grocery shopping I'd like to have the ability to silence my green conscience. I'm so conflicted I can't buy anything anymore. I'm constantly faced with making an ethical/ environmental decision Vs a financial one (sahm parent). I haven't been to the shops in months and months. If I can't afford the 'right' choice I don't buy it. Hence we need new everything, but we are of course surviving. I constantly have to bite my tongue around others though. Spending most of a year living on a remote South Pacific island and seeing how the large families live in their one room shacks, the poorest without running water changed all perspective. I do wonder when the wider population is going to wake up to themselves, and consider the example their rampant consumerism is setting for their children let alone the damage they're inflicting. Argh it's exhausting I almost wish I hadn't set down this path, but once you've opened your eyes it's almost impossible to shut out reality again. You are warned.. (p.s Sorry for the novel)
Yes! I have serious “eco-guilt”
When I was growing up my parents drilled “reduce, reuse, recycle' into my head.. If I came home with a new dress or bag, I would get a lecture about the problems of consumerism, the effect on the environment, the ethics of buying a dress that was made in a sweat-shop etc, etc.. (enough to drive a teenage girl crazy!!)
I never really paid much attention to it until I had my daughter, and now I sound just like my parents! (Funny how that happens..)
So now before I buy ANYTHING I ask myself these questions:
1. Do you really need it?
2. Do you have something similar already (e.g when buying clothes)
3. Can I borrow it, buy it second hand or make it myself?
4. Think of all the money you could save for other things (family holidays etc.)
5. The house is already filled with “stuff”.. Do you really want more?
6. If I am going to buy this product, is it environmentaly sustainable, ethicaly produced etc..
I also recommend reading Clive Hamilton's book 'Affluenza'.
Katie @ Grow. Cook. Sew.
http://www.growcooksew.blogspot.com
Yep. We buy a lot less stuff than we used to – particularly that knick-knacky stuff that clutters up so many houses, and the technology that seems to be upgraded every two minutes (but still works well for years, as proved by my ultra-daggy six-year-old Nokia mobile phone). I'm sick of stuff. I wish more people were.
Yes, I have too much “stuff”. I hate having so much “stuff”.
I feel mean telling friends and family that my two children do not need any more toys – but it is the truth. I am sick of tripping over ALL their toys.
So I try to buy hand made or make my own when ever I can now.
But there will always be a few things I “want”, wont there.
So strange you would write about this today. I spent most of yesterday cleaning out my kids stuff, because like the woman in your story I felt literally sick at how much they have. It's gone somewhere I hope it will be valued and looked after.
i read a quote recently that was something like 'we buy things that we dont need to impress people we dont like…..' actually that's not exactly right, it was much more profound than my version…
i so agree with this. on the infrequent occasions that i venture to a shopping mall i feel saddened to see people wandering around, zombie-like, buying things that they dont need because big stores 'invite us to save'. i dont necessarily think we are all to blame, advertising is so persuasive and just everywhere these days, its difficult to avoid their messages.
i definitely subscribe to the theory that things wont make you happier – people and experiences do.
that said, i do believe that buying yourself some new, nice-fitting clothes when you been slumming around the house for a year in your trackies, breastfeeding and being vomited on, does wonders for your confidence.
All. the. time.
I live by the premise “don't buy clutter in the first place” but slip up all too often. Honestly, what is all the STUFF we have around us? What is it? x
I constantly CONSTANTLY feel literally ill in shopping centres. They are hideous places. But I never used to. I can't believe I used to love those places when I lived in the city. Since moving to the country I have really noticed how much 'stuff' I really don't need. As I sit here and blog away I haven't left our property since Sunday (we live at the end of a 3km dead end road, with a 3km long driveway). And I couldn't be happier. My partner went into town yesterday and asked if I needed anything. After thinking for awhile I simply said No, I don't need anything thank-you. Too much stuff! My little country town has the bare essentials, a small supermarket, butchers, hardware and that's about it. Anything beyond what can be bought there I have an hour and half round trip drive on my hands. Annoying sometimes but for the most part it forces me to realise I can go without just fine thank-you very much!
Great post 🙂
hehe so true. We have a small place so I'm forced to buy less. I'm always giving food away too as I get sent so much of it we just can't eat it and I hate seeing things go to waste 🙁
Yes I always think like this but it has potential to drive you crazy as there is so much 'stuff' everywhere. We live in such a disposable society, why reuse when everything can be re-purchased? I'd love to see post war thrift come back in vogue, and I'm sure it will in good time.
Great post and true. Yep I am all about minimal stuff these days. I became really aware of how often we are being sold to, always and now am able to consciously stop it and question my desires for stuff and nip them in the bud often.
It is so easy to join the herd though isn't it.
Oh, Chantelle, i SO know what you mean…
Last year my man & i volunteered in rural thailand for 5 weeks, with some gorgeous kids. kids who had nothing. then we went to hong kong to stay with my man's family, and wow….i cried for the first couple of days. a really tough transition. neon lights, clutter, consumerism, all so commercial and money hungry (i love HK, but this was a magnified appraisal of this visit). I took so long to adjust.
then I came home to melbourne & nearly had a panick attack opening my wardrobe! haha. i through most of it out to the op shop!
so, yes – i totally get like that sometimes 🙂 I do try to buy less because of this.
Heidi xo
I Love,Love,Love our blog…so warming and heart felt as soon as you enter in…I found you through the BYW course… enjoy the class! x x x
I definitely try to buy and use less, but it is hard in our consumer driven society.
I also wanted to let you know I gave you a blog award. You can find it at http://snappy-q.blogspot.com
I'd like to let go of the consumer part of me… but then there is a nagging little voice in my head that seems to suggest that life would be easier, better, more awesome if I just had this… or that….
i can totally relate. i work in an industry that stock shelves with all sorts of beautiful products and although my eyes grow big looking at all the beautiful things, I tend to not get past the looking stage, it gets too much sometimes…glad we are in the same BYW class – hope to chat soon! x
Belongings mean less to me as I get older. I totally pared back our life in our last move…. and I can't stand the shops… I only go for groceries and essentials. Had to get my son some shoes the other day… we couldn't get out of there fast enough… straight to the sushi train to compensate for the stressful shopping experience. I hear you! A-M xx
Lately I have been looking at the world like that. I was thinking of learning to screenprint. Recently I was out buying material for a quilt I am making and when I was checking out all the material I thought does the world really need another screenprinter to make more material. I try to recycle material or buy remnants as there is just way too much stuff in the world.
for me, the bottom line is, buying stuff is fun. i love clothing, i love to buy new things for my home. i will never be the one in a tiny cabin with three pieces in my closet, shining an apple on my only skirt, exclaiming “i'm finally free!” (i actually like really apples)
my opinion is that the problem is when “things” or else “buying things” is more like an obsession or what makes you most happy. when it takes over what's truly important in life.
xx
http://www.youtube.com/storyofstuffproject#p/u/3/9GorqroigqM
If anyone has a spare 20minutes check out this video, the story of stuff, definatly puts it all into perspective.
Another good thing to watch is Alain De Botton's 'Status Anxiety'. I don't buy anything unless it's truly needed. I'm also very conscious with grocery shopping to buy as local as possible.
So many people just don't think this way though.