Do we really buy a product for the
product itself, or do we buy into the notion that we will become a different
person after acquiring that product? Is that item some kind of magical
amulet that will transform you into a more desirable individual with a charisma
quotient that goes through the roof? If you really believe that to be the
case, then the price of those brand new boots, sunglasses, watch, smartphone or
fill-in-the-blank is a definite bargain.
Regretfully, I have spent thousands
of dollars on material items that have given me a few hours of gratification at
best, but have not changed me in any way. A good portion of my youth has
been spent trying to discover my best, most incredible self in malls or store catalogues.
By some random fluke, I was able to receive several fashion magazine
subscriptions for free. After a few months of sifting through endless ads
on facial serums, clutches and bangles, I had the startling realization that I
have been living in a Merchandise Matrix all my life. Everywhere I go,
whether it is in my car, online or watching television, there was some
billboard, ad or commercial telling me I needed this one special product to
make my life complete.
Not everyone goes through this
aha-I’m-living-in-a-web-of-lies moment in the same manner, if at all. For
Sapphire, a singer with pop rock group Millennium, it was living out of the
country for a while that allowed her to get some space from the materialistic
clutter.
‘I was
fortunate to have had the opportunity to live abroad for a couple of years in a
beautiful, quiet seaside town. Instead of driving cars, people took
pleasant strolls around town. In place of malls filled with mass produced
items, there were bazaars filled with one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted pieces.
In place of Starbucks, there were quaint cafes where people spent hours in deep
conversation. And in place of Whole Foods, there were farmer’s markets
filled with the biggest, most brightly colored fruits and vegetables I have
ever seen. When I returned to the US, I must say I was impressed by all
of the abundance in this country. But I soon realized that it was mainly
an abundance of stuff and a significant lack of the things that really matter,
like quality time with loved ones, children, parents and good friends.’
Put another way, Sapphire was
unplugged from the matrix and once you have been unplugged, you see the
material world in a whole new light. Now I am not promoting an ascetic
lifestyle or asking you to ban the purchase of all material goods for the rest
of your life. But before you whip out that credit card to buy the next
new, shiny thingamabob, ask yourself if you are purchasing this particular item
because of its actual benefit to you, or because you want to look like the
model on the magazine (who just so happens to be heavily airbrushed by the
way).
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