Whatcha-got?
All of us love to upgrade, trade up and improve at some point in our lives, whether it’s our faces, cars or conversation skills.
So much so, divorce is no longer taboo like it was in the good old days and self empowerment companies are sucking in people by the thousands. Even Warnie has cleaned up his act, and his teeth too.
Change is the new black.
It’s not a bad thing, and “out with the old and in with the new “ often works.
But it depends on what you’re trading up for: sometimes it’s better to stick with the traditional parma and chips and get a guaranteed decent feed, than pick over braised goat’s testicles with a side of honey-drizzled lovegrass, and go hungry, and be at least $60 worse off for the experience.
Obviously the ageing process of things we love is all about perception: in a fast moving society, even an iPhone4 can quickly resemble Anthony Callea. No, not just in size, but in diminishing popularity.
Like the iPhone4, technology feeds our disposable attitudes.
While the academics argue about the impacts of technological determinism, in my book, it’s simple: there’s three types of people in the world-technophobes, tech-heads and those that buy a computer to download music and use facebook.
The problem is computers have made us impatient, and it’s go the point where taking 30 seconds to download a You Tube clip, begins to feel like being stuck in the doctor’s waiting room with a six- year-old copy of Women’s Weekly.
Change also comes through the old fashioned trade, often involving a dodgy spruiker who wants to off-load some tampered goods, and a sucker, who thinks they’re getting the sale of the century.
The past few weeks have been all about the haggling, bluffing and over-estimation of trades.
Footy teams might preach the romantic notions of loyalty, doing it for the jumper and a club being like a family, during the home and away season, but come Trade Week, the footy landscape becomes more like nightclub- it’s open slather and everybody has a price.
Fans shouldn’t complain too much about this glorified meat market; trading is ingrained within the sport.
Many of us traded footy cards as kids, randy rookies often swap groupies on football trips, and how many times do you hear retired champions saying: “Geez, I’d happily trade all my individual awards for just one premiership”.
Then there’s Wall Street trade, and we all know how great that’s been for us, while potentially the biggest trade of all, the Malaysian five for one deal, has become the problem, rather than the solution.
So do we all need to get back in touch with that old fashioned notion of sticking by something? Through rain, hail and shine?
As a society, do we chop and change too much?
Are we too quick to give something, or someone, the flick?
Probably, as history is littered with bad trades.
From music: J.D. Fortune for Michael Hutchence.
To sport: Brendan Fevola for Daniel Bradshaw, or Xavier Doherty for Nathan Hauritz.
Even Hollywood marriages: Angelina Jolie for Jennifer Aniston – sorry, I can’t get passed the over-plumped lips, impossibly-long limbs and Mr and Mrs Smith.
On the flip side, there’s the argument that hoarding is pretty unhealthy too.
What can you really do with a shed full of crap anyway?
And hanging onto things from the past can hold you back.
Whether it’s a pair of jeans you’re never going to fit into.
Or a deep resentment of somebody who used to call you “Beatles Haircut” all the way through primary school.
Sometime you’ve got to let it be, and just let it go.
Even if you get nothing in return.
