I've been assuming that one of the things money is good for is to buy time.
If you can afford to pay somebody to clean your house, you save the time it takes to clean house. If you can afford to own a car it saves the time it would require to take the bus or the train or even to walk. If you can afford to buy a dishwasher, it saves the time it would take you to wash the dishes by hand. Buying vegetables at the store saves the time of having to raise them ourselves.
The question is whether saving this time has made our lives richer. This is what I am going to ask us to think about during worship tomorrow.
Dean, I actually think in many ways the examples you give actually make us poorer.
ReplyDeleteFirst with cleaning our own homes. I may be strange in this, but I actually get satisfaction out of doing it. I find doing some of the repetitive tasks, such as dusting, an opportunity to meditate and reflect. And, I know I am not the only one out there that likes this, making and seeing fresh vacuum marks on the carpeting.
As for washing dishes by hand vs. using a dishwasher, if doing this alone I find it allow for the same chance for a short meditation or reflection as cleaning. If washing by hand with someone else, then it always seems to prompt conversation, sometimes very deep and meaningful, much more so than in other circumstances, not sure why.
As for growing our own vegetables, I know most people today don't do this, and it's unfortunate. Seeing a seed evolve on a daily basis into a fully productive plant, nurturing it along the way, is an opportunity to be part of a miracle. Being able to share this with a child, if you have the opportunity is icing on the cake.
Lastly, driving your own car. I gave away my car 6 years ago, and have never looked back. When driving, especially in the DC area, I always felt like I was alone and in competition with every other driver out there. I'm not normally an aggressive person, but my personality always seemed to change when I was driving. How often do we ever smile at another driver while passing them? How often do we let another person merge out of turn, just to be nice? When I am on a bus or the metro, it is the opposite. Even if packed tightly and in less than comfortable circumstances, I always feel connected and part of a community in a shared experience. Being on public transportation allows us to smile at and have conversation with perfect strangers, and it happens all the time, even if I am not involved personally, I observe it every trip. And in public transportation it is very natural to personally or to observe someone else give up their seat for an elderly person, or a mom with her kids. It's a very different experience than driving. As for the walking option, we all know the advantage to that option vs. driving. So, my answer would be a definite "not always".
Re-evaluation is beginning to penetrate my winter-slow brain. What is possible to change in my $ affairs is not necessarily intuitive. There are some areas where I save time if I pay for help, and at the same time I am giving someone employment.
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