A Pursuit of Richness Rather Than More Stuff

We all know we can’t take our things with us when we pass on. But what a revolution would we see in the United States if enough of us decided that we were done with the dizzying consumerism craze and instead, we started demanding the things we truly value: quality time with family, chances to learn and develop as people, and worthwhile work no matter what our job title might be. Maybe then we could experience a bit more joy rather than the hollow thrill of buying short-lived trinkets.

I was talking to my Mom yesterday about a common practice in Europe which would probably seem strange if not rather morbid to those who have grown up in the United States. She told me that in Germany, where she and my step father were helping with humanitarian efforts relating to the refugee crisis in Europe for nearly two years, cemeteries regularly replace occupants in burial plots.

And if you think about it, that makes total sense. European nations, especially in established towns and cities have been around for thousands of years. Hundreds of generations of people have come and gone. If cemeteries offered permanent residence for the departed those cemeteries would have to take over the entire counties.

When I first heard about this practice, I had my American lens on things and I my first impression was that that was simply wrong. But now that I’ve had a few months mull this concept over a bit, I’ve come to recognize it as a sign of a much larger cultural reality.

Nearly every country in the world has a longer history and broader context than the United States. I remember visiting cathedrals and college buildings in England that were build in 1070 AD and I visited Roman installations that were over 2,000 years old. Nothing associated with the United States is even close to that old. In fact, I loved hearing that Oxford University has a college they call the New College that was established in the 1600s. Certainly there are amazing Native American connections to the landscaper of the Americas that date back well over 10,000 years, but the United States and its fledgling colonies just before date back just to 1600 or so.

So what’s the value in having a greater sense of the immensity of time that is ever present in countries with longer memories? It’s dangerous to ever couch a whole nation or culture under one way of thinking or feeling. So I won’t assume that all Europeans look at things the way I saw so many interact with their past. But what I saw and heard from interacting with people in Rome and England for example, was a greater sense of their place in the whole fabric of their country’s story.

I’ve spoken to so many of my fellow United States citizens who have this longing for significance as if the only way they will have worth is if they are remembered throughout the ages. But when I spoke with the kind man who served me toast each morning while studying at Oxford, he didn’t seem to use his energy or time grasping for fame or notoriety. Instead, he had a clear sense of what he truly valued.

And that translates even to what people buy in Germany versus what I find myself being guilty of buying some times. My Mom talked about meeting with so many Germans who use the same china, silver, washer and dryer and so forth for generations because the products are made to last and they mean more because it connects them to their family that have passed on. Most Germans have small refrigerators so they buy high quality food that they get fresh. Even their chocolate is of a higher quality as anybody who has tasted the difference would have to admit.

I don’t mean to say that Europeans are better than Americans. The difference is really that enough Europeans have decided on what they truly value, just like my wonderful friend who served my breakfast in the dining hall in England. And so they just don’t buy the cheaply made versions of things and companies adapt to provide higher quality products. But beyond our buying habits, what a revolution would we see in the United States if enough of us decided that we were done with the dizzying consumerism craze and instead, we started demanding the things we truly value: quality time with family, chances to learn and develop as people, and worthwhile work no matter what our job title might be. Maybe then we could experience a bit more joy rather than the hollow thrill of buying short-lived trinkets.