Experiences versus Things
Experiences versus Things
Are you more likely to remember experiences versus things? Just think for a minute about your childhood. Let’s go back to your tenth birthday for example. What do you remember about that event? Do you remember the gifts you got? The things that I remember when I reflect on my childhood include the trips to the beach we took on most Sundays, traveling all over the island of Jamaica and playing cards and Chutes and Ladders with my mom.
Surely there were many, many gifts that I have gotten over the years of my childhood but to be honest with you I don’t recall most of them. However, I can close my eyes right now and see the waters of the Caribbean Sea hitting the shore of Boston Beach as we lay in the shade on a blanket eating sandwiches made with love by my mom. I can remember going to Disney World for the first time and going on the Haunted Mansion ride. As the train rattled on, I was amazed at the real “ghosts” that seemed so close to us. I also remember getting a hug from THE Mickey Mouse as he stood happily in the street at the Magic Kingdom.
Things are valued in our society
I know that you are busy, just like me so perhaps you are also into listening to podcasts like I am. The funny thing about listening to podcasts is that I got into it because of our children. They love listening to a really fun science-based podcast called Wow in the World. There are many experiences built listening to Mindy and Guy Raz in the minivan.
So, the children got us into podcasts and then my husband introduced me to Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast, The Revisionist History. As I was listening to The Revisionist History podcast one day, Malcolm Gladwell endorsed another podcast called Bad with Money. Just like The Revisionist History, Bad with Money looks at unlikely aspects of a topic, in this case, money and our relationship with it.
In one particular episode, Gaby Dunn (host of Bad with Money) discusses how difficult it is for those with shopping addiction in our society. Her point was that so often shopping is encouraged and is the center of celebrations and holidays. So for someone with a shopping addiction, which society does not view as a true problem, temptations are everywhere. As I listened to this it made me think about the value of experiences versus things.
In our society, shopping and consuming things is encouraged. We often lose sight of the human experiences that build relationships as we are caught up in consuming.
Charmaine Gregory
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