What’s the one luxury you can’t live without?
By definition a luxury is something you can live without, if your wants and needs are met. Back in the day, I remember thinking that a mobile device was a luxury. I argued with my spouse about it. We discussed mobile phones, talked about usage, worked through use case scenarios, and considered affordability. Nokia was the leading brand of mobile handsets and Sony Ericsson was a close contender. And both these devices were at the top end of the spectrum with nothing on offer for me to consider. I remember ogling a Nokia and then getting myself the Sony Ericcson t100 which was at the bottom of that ladder. This was more than 2 decades ago. Today, mobiles are still a luxury item, if you consider an Apple device or a top-end Samsung device, but even these brands have realized the value of marketing to the common man and have variants that are affordable at a lower range.
Having a mobile device was about social mobility more than connectivity. It symbolized a lifestyle where you were required to be accessible all the time. And this, in turn, required correct documentation, that only a few had access to. So, getting a mobile phone connection based on valid credentials created the illusion that you had arrived. Around this time, there was an influx of mobile devices in the market, creating a gap for affordable mobile plans. Affordable plans made it easier to explore device features. Knowing your device meant more time on the device creating content, accessing information, and sharing stories for instant gratification. Data access 24/7 created a world where everyone was looking down.
I got a Kindle so I could have a device that I would use to read books. The fact that this device came with a good battery that lasted forever, could store more books than I would read at any given point in time, was small enough to fit easily in my pocket, was cheap enough to be affordable as a gift and only required a valid internet connection just made getting a Kindle – a no-brainer, especially if you were a voracious reader.
Purchasing groceries online used to be a luxury. Data was expensive and online stores were few. But today, with easy access to data, and every physical store having an online presence, online shopping is a breeze. It’s faster and easier than trying to visit a shop physically, jostling among crowds of people, fighting for the attention of the over-exhausted sales clerk, and then standing in queues to first try the products and then again to make the purchase. made online shopping a preferred mode of shopping.
I used to drive to work and calculating and accommodating travel time, traffic jams, and hunting for parking spots into my schedule was something I could do even in my dreams. Needless to say, traveling to work in a cab or taxi used to be a luxury indulged only when all other options had been exhausted. Today, thanks to the chaos on the roads, I prefer to use a cab, because it gives me the flexibility to alight and walk if I’m stuck in traffic for too long, to be able to plan multiple stops along the way, without worrying about location and disembark at an entrance convenient to me because I don’t have to worry about parking my car.
Today the definition of luxury has changed. There was a time when all we had was access to space. There were fewer students in class. There were fewer participants in competitions. There were fewer vehicles on the road. Parking was a breeze. Driving a luxury few indulged in. And then everything exploded, or maybe imploded. Suddenly, there were more people, more vehicles, fewer parking spots, more students, just a lot more people fighting for the same space. Today, space is a luxury very few can access. And the space you own is reserved only for the upwardly mobile. To this already confusing scenario add a bunch of zombies- at least the modern-day version of it, basically, individuals so tuned in to their devices that they have no idea of their surroundings, out of touch with the reality they are living in. Engrossed in a life in a universe where they don’t have the time and in some instances even the skills required to indulge in a regular physical interaction. Now, conversation, and physical connection is a luxury. Constantly being online, at work, or on-call has ensured that we don’t have the time for more meaningful relations or build those important connections that help humanize us. The luxury of walking around with a laptop, or a mobile device that keeps you connected has ensured that we don’t have time to lift our faces from our devices to have face-to-face conversations. Physical contact and physical conversations have become luxuries we no longer have access to. The unfortunate part is that this generation has no clue about the value a simple touch holds.
I remember the times when I used to sit on the drive, waiting for class to let off, so I could catch up with B. I had no idea if she had come to college, so I did not know if she was in class. Yet, I sat and waited. Patiently. To have that one 30-second conversation with her, to see where we would meet at lunch. Then run to our other classes. Or just make eye contact across the field, miming a random message and hoping we understood each other. Happy in the knowledge that we would meet again sometime that day. Now, when you ask me, what is a luxury I cannot live without, it would be connection. Not having a person who shares that connection with you. A connection so deep that even when we meet after many years, our conversations flow and we continue from where we left off not so long ago. Having a person understand you, share your wavelength, and have conversations with or share the occasional meaningful silences with – is a luxury I cannot live without.
Just a little more 