Ducks and Blueberries: A Reflection on Price, Cost and Value
Frankly #104
In this week’s Frankly, I share an excerpt from my daily life that mirrors a larger observation on the human predicament. A grocery shopping trip turns into a reflection on value vs cost, and how consumption in our society is driven by the perception of value that’s presented to us.
What is the difference in value that our minds create between a $5 container of blueberries, and a $1 container? What is the difference between price, cost and value? What things in our lives do we treat as disposable when they are cheap, but treat as treasure when they are pricey? What would it look like if the things we consume were priced to account for both the value and the cost of that item? How do we approach our lives with a more critical and systems-lens eye?
Among the in-video questions for viewers: Have you had a “blueberry moment” in the buying and reflecting of things?
In case you missed it…
This week, I was joined by Stephen Jenkinson, a cultural activist and author on the topic of grief, loss, and dying, to discuss his extensive work on grief literacy and the shortcomings of the dominant cultural attitudes towards death. Stephen reflected on his experiences as a palliative care counselor, offering insights on how to navigate the complexities of life and death, advocating for a more profound participation with grief.
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I lived in AZ for about 10 years. The water is ultra cheap there because it's heavily subsidized. Growing up in NM, I was already acutely aware of water shortages, having seen the Rio Grande river shrinking in size in my own lifetime. The profligate usage of water in AZ astounded me. But having a child, and having my own memories of fun times in the swimming pool, and even just playing with cousins and siblings with a water hose, I also knew the amazing power that water play has to refresh the body and soul. We lived in CA for several years, and now live in the state of Washington, both states with much more expensive utilities across the board. I know the days of having water ready to be used at a still relatively cheap price are numbered. Every time I wash my dishes, take a shower, look up the local public swimming pools, use the hose to wash something, etc - even as we do our best to use it sparingly - I think of people around the world that have to walk for miles just to get enough water to stay hydrated and fed, and I feel both profound shame and privilege for simply being born in the United States. Every time I use water I wonder if/when the day will come that even I or the younger generation in our family will consider a shower a rare luxury....On a happy note, what a treat to see your lovely duckies! Beautiful happy times. Thank you for sharing that :-D (Cross-posting in YouTube)
Oh wow! Price, cost, value.
As a person who has been collecting free building materials and tools for some 'as yet' to be identified self sufficiency projects in the future and for projects underway, this Frankly really hit home for me.
I live the question...'how can I make what is needed, (say Walipini), with what I have on the property, or what can I build with what I do have, (say machine shed)?
I want my community to see that there are alternatives to conventional, new materials project undertakings.