Saturday, February 28, 2009

In These Times

Friends, these are hard times. It’s everywhere like a fear-mongering plague — tales of financial distress, strain and calamity abound. For a lot of people struggling to make ends meet, I feel for them. For the people who depend on having jobs to feed their families, I feel for them. For the many of us, we are burdened with the small percentage at the top whose mistakes we continue to pay.

Long ago, a friend of mine told me, “It’s darkest before dawn.” It was the first time I’d heard of the phrase. You know how it goes — “It has to get a lot worse before it gets better.”

While the markets, bankers, conglomerates, big-box retailers and vacationing single-percenters are calling foul, I offer a different perspective. That this doesn’t necessarily have to be the doomsday scenario that the media is propagating. Perhaps, what this is, and can be, is a return to the smaller, local sustainable communities that used to be.

What I’m seeing is not the failure of our economy but a reality check.

It’s okay to be cautious, to live within your means, to not get further into debt. The questions that people are asking themselves are perhaps the right questions — do I really need to buy a second car or even a car period? Do I need to buy this piece of clothing that I’ll never wear again in six months, if not sooner? What items do I really need?

For an economy and people who are used to splurging on material goods, this sort of introspection influenced by a shrinking economy may not be a bad thing. At all. Do we turn local and look at what is worth actually paying for?

I’ve long subscribed to the lifestyle that is paying well for something that is made well. That it is possibly bespoke, artisanal and made smartly. Or that it’s of a high quality — quality over quantity. A few excellent and good pieces that you cherish over many pieces that are mediocre and that you could care less about. For me, this comes in many forms — a few of mine are bicycles, baggage, clothes and even food. Things I need to be functional, well-made and that will stand the test of time, possibly outlasting me before they give in or give me a longer, more pleasurable experience. Something to savour, to marvel and appreciate.

At the moment, I don’t mind this at all. A wake-up call for a new time in the world.