Modern Comforts

My house computer is still 'sick', 'under observation' and will only be 'discharged' a day later. And all the while the 'hospital bills' are rising.

I read in the papers years ago about a China lady who was suing her ex-husband for a large sum of money, which included a monthly sum so that she could maintain the kind of lifestyle that she had gotten used to after marrying her husband. I had found it ludicrous then (I still do) - the husband was actually penalised for having treated his wife well and giving her a life of luxury.

I will allow her now an iota of sympathy for I think there is no doubt that once we get used to a luxury or a convenience, to suddenly lose it makes us feel that we have suffered a significant loss, a necessity even. Indeed, for the past few nights, I had wondered what I should do as I wallowed in the free time I had when I was unable to surf, blog, play games, calculate my finances, pay my bills online and/or do some work at home. I tried reading a book but still didn't feel right, watched television (and that is cable TV with a wide array of channels, mind, not a limited number of free-to-airs) but still got bored.

I really wonder what my parents or their parents used to do during those long, quiet nights. Maybe that's why families were larger in the past.

Perhaps sometimes, we need an event to put things in perspective. When I lost my 3G Nokia phone in December, I felt totally naked and lost. When my Dad leant me his old 'basic' phone which would allow me to call and SMS, I felt less naked to the extent that I was wearing a singlet and loin cloth. Three months on, I feel quite comfortable and do not even think of what I'm missing. Try as I might, I cannot even recall what made me so distraught when my original phone went missing.

Yes, I think deliberately roughing it out sometimes may not be a bad idea because it may let us feel how lucky we are when we are back to our familiar, comfortable surroundings. That is why, a week ago, I did not take any form of mechanized transport as I walked to and from work. Not only did it save me money, it made me grateful for being able to cycle to work, which I now do.

Perhaps, what really puts things in perspective is looking at pictures of the quake aftermath in Japan, people in an ultra-modern country still being able to smile and get on with life after losing a lot of what they had, surviving on the basic amenities and being glad that they even have those small mercies, all the while dealing with the spectre of more aftershocks and/or nuclear meltdown.

Practice makes perfect. Maybe sometimes, just for a while, we should practice austerity and humility.