Cumbersome

So, my vintage 1994 19" TV hasn't been doing so well lately. When I was attempting a game of MLB for the old Playstation, it would get some serious wavy line action. This wasn't a huge deal as I don't watch much TV, don't have cable, and it didn't seem to be a problem when I was playing movies. But, recently a co-worker let me know he wanted to get rid of his 32" TV that is just a few years old and wanted to know if I would be interested in buying it for $75. I wasn't sure how I felt about spending the money until I did a quick price check at Best Buy and realized I would be shelling out several hundred dollars more if my TV finally did fall off its last leg. So, with the gracious help of Aaron and his dad's work van, I took possession of the giant.

But as is so often the case in the curse of materialism, the story doesn't end there. Of course, this large and heavy TV does not fit onto my old, flimsy TV stand so I had to go to Wal-Mart today and drop another $50 to purchase a suitable stand. It should work, but now my two large Van Gogh's on the wall behind it are going to look out of whack. I am going to have to move them up the wall and hope that works, and my living room as a whole just looks a lot smaller than it did before. And basic cable becomes much more tempting.

I think I may have violated my standards for simplicity with this purchase. Although the initial cash outlay seemed like a wise purchase, the total cost and hassle is kind of bothersome. It's an interesting microcosm of materialism. The more stuff you buy, the more other stuff you have to buy to accommodate it, until it generates such a mass that it creates its own gravitational pull.