They just don’t make things like they used to…
People say we live in a throwaway society where things are intended to be disposable, but that’s not entirely true. Today, our car passed the 200,000 mile mark. When we bought the car in 1995, we figured we’d have to replace it in 2001 or so. As it turns out, the car still runs great, and the only unscheduled repairs we had to pay for were a leaky water pump (which was scheduled for replacement at 180,000 miles anyway) and a outboard CV boot that was starting to crack. This car has thousands of parts, and each piston and valve has probably moved up and down around a billion times. We’re still using the original clutch.
Cars aren’t the only thing that last a long time. Practically all of us regularly use appliances, tools, furniture, utensils, clothing, and a variety of other products that we’ve had for decades.
Despite the fact that we have all this stuff that lasts forever, we buy more at a furious pace. Few people actually keep cars in garages anymore because they’re filled with junk.
While many people find all the junk we have undesirable from a conservation or aesthetic point of view, I think the bigger problem is what it does to our priorities. Most of us dedicate our lives to acquiring and keeping stuff at almost any personal cost.
As a society, we measure others by what they have rather than what they do. Whenever art, athletic achievements, or a number of other events are discussed in the popular press, attention immediately focuses on the money that changed hands rather than on the substance of what happened.
Arguably, we don’t own stuff — it owns us. Maybe a step right direction would be for all people over a certain age to get rid of something every time they acquire something.
Regardless of the problems associated with buying lots of stuff that lasts forever, I’d like to raise a glass to the people who designed and built our car. 200,000 trouble free miles is truly impressive, and it’s a testament to the fact that people can do good things if they set their minds to it.