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Is Everything Disposable?

My flat screen television went on the “blink” a short time ago, fortunately it was under warranty. I contacted the manufacturer and began the process of getting my problem taken care of. The short version of this story is a repairman was dispatched, he came out spent about ten minutes working on the set( five of those ten minutes he was on the phone with the manufacturer) before he told me it couldn’t be fixed and Sharp would have to send me a new one. I pondered about how disappointed I was. I mean this set was only about a year old, I liked it, I was used to it and now I had to go through another procedure before I could watch television. Why, because I thought when a repairman was dispatched to see about a relatively new piece of machinery I expected it to be fixed. Hold on, I thought when I bought that set it would last more than a year before I would be faced with going out and searching for another one. Think about it what was the last thing you had fixed in your home? I remember a time in my life very clearly technicians/repairmen coming to our home to fix washing machines, refrigerators, and yes televisions. I also remember that devices such as these used to last quite a long time.

Maytag advertised that their repairmen were the loneliest peole in town. This claim was to draw your attention to the fact that their machines were so good, so reliable that you basically did not need a repairman and the poor guy was destined to a life of boredom and loneliness. You, on the other hand, the smart consumer would have a great piece of equipment to last a lifetime. Value for your dollar, who could ask for more. Wait, value for your dollar, integrity, sound and solid products, are these a thing of the past?

Disposable used to apply to paper products, items that were understandably cheaper to toss in the trash than to take time to clean or wash (i.e. napkins, plates, cups) let alone replace. I find it utterly ridiculous to think about getting a new item such as a printer instead of buying a replacement cartridge of ink, yet I recently found it to be true.

Making things that are so easily replaced, cheapens and devalues them. Let’s revisit my television, one might think”okay well at least you got a new set”, but this is the deal. I didn’t want a new set I had the set I wanted. I went shopping, I did my research and decided on that particular model. Suddenly, I am told this is no good and here is another one.  Think about it, if it is so easy to replace don’t you wonder if was made very good to begin with?Am I becomimg my parents, living in the cliche’ of “I remember when”,  and if I am is it wrong to expect something I paid for to last long enough for me to feel comfortable in throwing out the packaging it came in?