The nice things always ran out

One of those odd childhood memories that sticks with me is that of distant uncles, aunties and friends bringing nice chocolates and toys from USA, Singapore and elsewhere.

As a child of the 90’s, the flood of nice things when relatives came over during summer is a strong memory. They came from Hong Kong, Singapore and US bringing chocolates, video games etc.

And once a weird sized battery died out or the motor on the toy gave out or we got down to the last piece of a malteser, there would be this pall of gloom.

The nice things were gone. And there was a time when we would not get those nice things as easily as we do today.

Seeing better stocked grocery store shelves, better built cars, organized roads, nicer swimming pools, slicker cycles or better houses when I first travelled abroad in 1995 are still abiding memories.

And that we didn’t have those things was a self-imposed constraint. And as I age and think about what motivates me to buy or make things, memories like those above have shaped me in much more profound ways than I imagined.

Am I being a consumerist pig? Not really. I really do have a buy it once and buy it right when it comes to ‘things’. I find myself buying less as I’ve learned to make more. For food, buy nice food and eat as little to keep you happy is the way to go. So I do think hard about the what and why of consuming things.

Even as better imported foods are available and quality of what is produced locally improves, the world hasn’t stood still. When we up our game, so has the world.

We import good whey isolates or yeast or pea protein, more evolved markets have better whole food options, beverages and ready-to-eat protein-based foods.

We get nice metro-rails, the more evolved world makes it easier to walk to places or cycle to places. We dig up roads to lay pipes or cables, the evolved world digs underground tunnels to make it easier to service and repair and upgrade cables.

The same goes for gym equipment too. As India sees local makers of barbells and squat racks, the evolved world makes cooler accessories, flywheels, motor-based resistance etc.

Which brings me to my point. As consumers, we remain reactive and mimic slowly. This was always the pain-point for me. I didn’t want a lot for cheap. I wanted a little of nice when everyone else got it. And I don’t wait for a family member to sneak it in. And gym equipment cannot be snuck in. So I am just going to make it.