My YouTube algorithm did me a favor the other day when this video by Rajiv Surendra
showed up in my feed. I highly suggest you watch it but, in a nutshell, Rajiv explains the importance of living with intention and buying the best quality items you can afford. He describes how much joy the things we see, touch, and use in our living space every day can add to the quality of our life experience.
I’ve spoken on this topic more than once in the past few years but it’s always a good idea to revisit it. Especially with the flood of ever-cheaper goods that will be hitting the consumer markets as AI makes production more efficient by several orders of magnitude. I’ve practiced this kind of intentional living for over a decade and, almost without fail, have noticed that the older things are the better they were made.
The lure of cheap and fast is strong, especially in this economy, but take a moment to think about where it’s gotten us as a society. So many of us walk around with a void inside us and we seek different ways to fill it. Not loving the things we surround ourselves with is the gateway to compulsive consumption and piles of Amazon boxes strewn about. We don’t bother to make an emotional connection with these cheap, modern items because—1.) they’re just functional and not necessarily beautiful, and 2.) we know they’ll be broken or be worn out in short order.
Not many companies sell new quality goods these days and if they do you’ll pay dearly. You’ll find me in thrift and antique stores rummaging through heaps of old stuff looking for things like Griswold cast iron skillets, vintage Filson clothes, and anything else of use I can get my hands on. Griswold used a different casting method for their cast iron pans that create a surface as smooth as glass making them much more non-stick than most modern iron cookware and anything made by Filson is nearly as tough as cast iron (and carries a lifetime warranty). Not only is it a cost-effective way to shop but this also sparks the thrill of the hunt, a win-win. These objects not only bring beauty and substance to your life but they also have stories to tell, they’ve lived multiple lives—sometimes outlasting generations.
We learn more about ourselves as we get older and recently I've learned that the items I tend to truly bond with and treasure have to be functional as well as attractive to look at. This practicality must come from my middle-class background and genetics.
I’ve also discovered eBay and Etsy are surprisingly great places to buy quality directly from the craftsmen and artists that make the items at a fair price. Recently I scored a handmade leather messenger bag for travel that was a fraction of the cost of what big corporate brands offer. The small business is headquartered in Brooklyn and have been selling on Etsy for over a decade.
The bag is scheduled for delivery this week, it’ll be monogrammed with my initials and I know it’ll be my traveling companion for the remainder of my life. This is something that will be well cared for, treasured, and probably passed down to younger generations of Waltons. There's something to be said about caring for the items you own, it feeds your soul in ways that are indescribable.
The next time you feel the urge to open that ever present Amazon app consider doing a deeper dive and seeking something finer and of more substance instead you might be surprised about the ways in which it changes you. We're here for such a short time in the grand scheme of things. In this world of fast and cheap, we can all use a little more substance and beauty in our lives.
All for now. Thanks so much for reading.
