The Satisfaction of Repair

In 1932, a real estate broker named Bernard London coined the term "planned obsolescence." His proposal was simple: if products were designed with a predetermined lifespan, people would throw them away and buy new ones, helping pull society out of the Great Depression.

Sound familiar?

The Japanese have this beautiful practice called Kintsugi. It's almost a living, breathing antidote to planned obsolescence. Kintsugi is the art of repairing broken pottery using lacquer dusted with gold, silver, or platinum. A broken bowl isn't discarded, it's restored. Its cracks become part of its story.

Pretty cool, especially considering a broken dish is usually the first thing headed for the trash.

I've been wondering what we can learn from that.

For me, repair is an opportunity to maintain. It's also an opportunity to learn, to slow down, and to experience the satisfaction that comes from bringing something back to life with your own hands.

A chair, a shirt, a toy, a game, a garden?

Maybe the object isn't the point, maybe breathing new life into something is.

Food For Thought

What around you could use a little repair?

You do not need a digital detox.

You just need a day (a week).

Get a life,

Analog Sunday

The Rhythm

Every Analog Sunday is built around five simple practices:

Eat something made with care.
Play without keeping score.
Make something with your hands.
Read something that expands your mind.
Rest without feeling guilty.