Today was a mixed day. This morning we left home at 6.30 to take my husband to hospital to have a shoulder operation. Afterwards, my son, his girlfriend and I stopped for breakfast on the way at a great cafe and enjoyed an amazing meal together. Then, I dropped my son and his girlfriend off at the ferry as they were going on a trip to the beautiful Rottnest Island for the weekend with a group of young adults.
I took the long way home and drove through some of my favourite riverside suburbs before heading back to the hills. It’s a gorgeous autumn day in Perth and that means it’s a sunny 28 degrees celsius. Today is what I describe as Californian weather—warm without being roasting with a gentle breeze.
I’ve been sitting in my study ever since working on a new novel and waiting for news from the hospital. The sun streams through the windows and I can hear the rustle of gum trees and the melodic calls of magpies.
Yesterday I wrote about being an experience collector and today is an interesting day to contemplate that idea as my husband is not having such a great experience—it’s necessary and will hopefully bring relief, but it’s not as fun as being at Rottnest or driving along the river.
But, here’s my thought for today. Are experiences the new objects? Are experiences the currency of joy?
How does buying a pair of new Louis Vuitton shoes compare with the experience of a drive along the river? Or the anticipation of a holiday in Europe? Paying over $2000 for a pair of amazing shoes doesn’t tempt me as much as buying a ticket to Paris. The experience of a trip to Paris means so much more to me than a pair of shoes. I love shoes, but I love travel more.
According to a new study, simply anticipating a joyful experience brings more happiness than waiting to buy material things.
There was old practice, before the days of credit cards, called Layby, where you paid a deposit on an item and then paid it off over a few months. When it was paid off, you could take it home. These days, instant gratification sees us buying books instantly on Amazon and having them delivered onto our iPads or swiping a credit card in a store means you can get anything you like, as long you actually have credit!
The researchers have shown that experiences and the anticipation of them bring bring greater joy than waiting for a material item.
If we’re lining up for an experience like tickets to a performance or to taste the offerings at a new restaurant or tickets to the grand final match of your favourite team, you don’t seem to mind as much as when you are lining up at the supermarket.
Apple have tapped into this psychology. Lining up to get a new Apple computer or device has become an experience.
So, what is your currency for joy? Material items or experiences?
The memory of an experience lasts a lifetime while material objects get old, and sooner or later, wear out.
I’m going to visit my husband in hospital now and have dinner with my daughter and mother-in-law later.
Sharing life, experiencing it in its goodness and challenge is what I’m investing in.
#365adventure is a book lover’s year of adventures. Adventures in travel, friendship, family, soul, heart and, of course, book stores!
