Consumption means buying and using stuff but we could also expand that definition to include repair and maintenance. Fixing our own things when they break is an underestimated way of making them last even longer.
In the cult classic “Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”, the author Robert Pirsig emphasize the importance of taking care of our own things to understand them, to become one with them and with ourselves.
In modern society we outsource most if not all repair and maintenance to professionals but by doing so we also loose the important connection and understanding of the tools we use every day (and ourselves).
We are designed to use both mind, body, and soul, something that Pirsig emphasizes in his book through his practical and spiritual journey driving his 1966 Super Hawk Honda through the plains of North Dakota.
On my recent road trip to Southern California a few things broke and needed repair. The rear barn door stopped closing and I had to use a backpack strap and a bike lock to keep it closed. And I ripped my surf shorts in the seams.
Since both are really good quality products with plenty life left, I could either seek professional repair help or learn how to repair myself. Of course, I choose the latter as it’s much more empowering and faster.
Mending the surf shorts was easy as they came unglued in the seams and just needed to be reglued back together. Unfortunately I used what I had, superglue, and the repair became very stiff. I should have used textile glue.
The failing car door latch took a bit more doing. Luckily I found a video that described the whole repair project, ordered the part, and when I received the part it took less than five minutes to replace and test the installation.
The repair process is very simple. First identify what’s wrong and then search online for viable solutions. Google or use AI apps to learn how to repair pretty much anything. Someone has surely figured it out before you.
Taking care of your own stuff (and yourself) forges a deeper relation with your things and increase both confidence and knowledge. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, you’re actively engaging with what you do have.
And there is a tremendous value in having that relationship with yourself and your things without becoming too attached. I care about the things I have but I don’t care if I loose them. They are just things.
I also care about myself but I don’t get too attached to my fleeting emotions or the conversations that happens in my head. Instead I try to forge a quality mindset where problems are small and opportunities large.
One of the first questions I ask myself today when researching a product is: Can it be repaired? The second question is: Can I do it? The third: How? If not, then I usually pass unless free repair is part of the product warranty.
Since my California life these days is car-centric, as supposed to house or backpack centric, I’ve created a repair kit housed in a medium-sized pouch to repair and maintain my things when on the road.
The kit includes: