This past weekend while sitting in my Ecological Citizenship class I commented on the fact that my backpack was falling apart and that I would need to find another one preferably on craigslist or ebay so I could find one second-hand. I did not mind paying a bit for a replacement backpack as I use them quite a bit when I walk and ride the T and buses around the Boston/Cambridge areas. I had found the pack that was falling apart in the basement of the cooperative where I live, and had already repaired it previously. It was time for a replacement.
Upon hearing my comments about needing to replace my all-important transporter of needed personal items and school materials, my friend Karyn offered to give me one of hers. She said she had a collection of them and would be happy to donate one to my current need. We settled on at least letting me pay for the postage to send it from Providence as I would pay more than that for anything else I acquired even second-hand. So now I will have a "nearly-new" backpack that has come from a friend without anything new being purchased! Thank you Karyn!
I love that you are able to re-use something one of us has and that Karyn was able to provide the backpack. I hate to think how many back packs I have purchased over the years for my four children who always needed a new one every year. A few years ago my son wanted an expensive backpack that would allow his laptop to travel safely. I purchased it but now wonder why the special compartment for a laptop cost so much, and why I was under the impression my kids needed a new backpack every year (media?). Three years later he still has the expensive backpack. Your story makes me think I should look through some of our closets and donate any backpacks sitting around.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I like the many different venues there are for getting rid of things - freecycle, etc. I personally know that someone's junk is another person's treasure. I loved being in India to see how they used every thing they found for something - nothing seemed to go to waste. Before buying things, one might put out an email to friends and just ask - does anyone have ----- that they wouldn't mind passing on? I think we could save alot of trips to the store this way. But what will happen to the global marketplace if we all truly stopped shopping. The whole economy is based on all of us "consumers" consuming as much as possible. If we truly all started doing the voluntary simplicity life, what will become of our government, our economy, our infrastructure to live the 21st century life? Always good to ponder this and understand the ways in which consumerism has become the standard for life.
ReplyDeleteI love the extra benefits from sharing. I was in a meeting with the associate provost at Lesley and she was admiring my planner and remarked that she needed to get one - hers wasn't big enough to hold everything. I disliked mine - big and bulky - and immediately said, "Want to trade?" We did and now every time we are in a meeting together we have this moment of connection that happens because we gave each other something. Lovely.
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