Upon introspection, I’ve come to the conclusion that my appreciation for the finer things has a strong component that’s based on my disdain for all that is either poorly designed or poorly executed. The effect of that cause is me defaulting to the ‘highest price first’ sort order when searching for something. I would never suggest that most expensive is always best, but the $ value between best and most expensive may not be commensurate with the time it takes to figure it out.
Therefore, when I do discover something (often by referral) that is superior and less expensive, it’s a little bit like a secret. I’m talking about utilitarian things here, not whether you think The Replacement’s greatest hits is worth paying for 7 separate albums (btw their doc, ‘Color Me Obsessed’ is well worth watching….is that a meta-meta-analysis?).
I’m a bit ashamed to say my shower is full, and I mean full, of product. Further, I’m not super proud to say it’s almost all high rent. From Davines to Aesop to La Prarie and everything in between, my shower would undoubtedly make my grandfather roll over in his grave. Obviously then, when a friend asked me if I’ve tried Gilette Foamy shaving cream lately, I said “of course not you jackass”. Fast forward to me recently buying razors and realizing that one razor blade costs more than a can of Gilette Foamy, so I bought one. Not gel, not mint, not anything. Old school red-canned badass Gilette Foamy. It fully resists going down any drain, smells like my aforementioned grandfather, and that means it’s awesome; and thusly has earned a spot in the rotation.
Similar to my shower is my beer fridge. Full of way too many artisinal organic imported (and probably very good) beers. But sitting proudly in the door are 8 bottles of MGD. Like the foamy, it’s there because it deserves to be.
These are tiny, inconsequential, embarrassing, meaningless victories, I truly view them that way. But it is a victory, and the same guy that put me on to the Foamy once said, “it’s not how, it’s how many”.