Seat of memory

Thanks to a recent Facebook "Memory", I found out that six years ago this month—October, 2016—I was asking Facebook friends for recommendations for a new desk chair, since mine was failing. It reminded me of things that change—and don't. It also reminded me that I apparently need reminders.

I didn't buy a new desk chair until we moved from Auckland's North Shore in February 2017, and even then it was only because the gas lift in my old chair was failing constantly. I found a chair at a NZ office products chain store in Pukekohe, liked the look of it, it was inexpensive, and it was the most comfortable I could find at the time. So, I bought it.

Sometime in 2020, during some lockdown or other, I noticed that the pleather covering on the seat of the chair was starting to flake off. That pleather is now mostly gone. Yes, it shouldn't have worn out so fast, but at the low price I paid it's just not worth the hassle to get it replaced; I wouldn't have a clue where the receipt is, and, anyway, it’d no doubt just happen again. It’s a reminder that you get what you pay for, something Nigel always stressed and I also believed. But I needed a new chair urgently, he was too busy with work to help with advice, so I took the easy route. Not for the first time, that was a mistake.

I later learned that I could've just installed a new gas lift in my old chair for a very low price—maybe a third of the price I paid for the new chair. Another lesson learned, this one an old one: Always fully research and evaluate alternatives.

So, with my current chair now pretty yucky-looking, I considered getting a super-duper chair I really like: It’s highly regarded (in reviews) and intended for gamers, so it’s rated for long hours of use—but it also has a very, very high price to match. However, I still have Nigel's desk chair, which was identical to mine but used far less (because I worked from home and he seldom did until his last few years). Nigel had me buy the chair for him because he liked the one I'd bought for myself in 2004. The fact mine lasted some 13 years is a pretty good compliment for that chair—and an indictment of that office products chain because I also bought the old chairs from there, and for a similar price.

I always thought my old chair was a good one, until the gas lift failed, though one arm was also badly worn from Bella sinking her claws into it and pulling herself up so I’d lift her onto my lap. After Nigel died, I needed to use his computer for lots of stuff, and I was surprised at how good his chair still was (and the upholstery is fine).

So, I plan to swap the chairs and use my current one in the garage when I work on projects there (assuming I ever manage to re-find the bolts to put the work benches together (I found them within a day or two of moving into this house, and put them "someplace safe". I think that safe place has a Klingon cloaking device installed. Or maybe it's Romulan?

These days I'm focused mainly on using what I have, either as is or re-purposing or upcycling, as needed, rather than buying new. I also donate/give away or sell usable things that I don't need. So far, there’ve only been a few minor things that I've gotten rid and later found I could've used—and I can't even remember what they were, so did I really need them? If all else fails, I responsibly dispose of broken/obsolete/truly unusable stuff.

The moral of the story (so I can re-learn it again in the future) is: When I need expensive things (furniture, tech, etc), shop for quality, not solely the lowest price, research all options and make an informed decision on how to proceed. I know all that of course—it's what Nigel always did, and I (usually) did that, too, because of him. I guess with "everything" going on, there are things I need to remind myself of.

Sometimes we need reminders to help us keep doing what works, and to avoid easy shortcuts. Such reminders can come from anywhere, even a random FB “Memory”—or from a blog post talking about it—but it’s the reminding that matters. I hope I’ve re-learned that lesson, too.