Day 15: small, totally nonessential luxuries that I relish, with totally nonessential commentary
43. Being able to watch movies at home whenever I want.
Old guys like me remember having to go to the theater to see a movie. It was the only way to see things that weren’t years old. We could catch old ones on TV (if we had a TV), especially in the late hours, but there was no alternative to watching them when they were broadcast—no recording devices, no videotape devices, no DVDs. And plenty of commercials. Netflix represents a significant luxury (and I hate it that they delete old treasures from their inventory).
44. Kleenex. Disposable facial tissues, especially those with a little tensile strength.
When I was a little girl, a well-brought-up young lady carried a cloth handkerchief, preferably edged with lace. One of those was never sufficient for me; I was plagued by hay fever. Ah, those nickel packs of tissues—salvation! I have, however, been grateful that some gentlemen still do carry a clean white handkerchief and seem to know just when to produce and offer it.
45. Cellphone.
I never wanted to like it, and it isn’t a necessity at all. But I confess that I do use it more than I ever thought I would, and I like the feeling of security it gives me, as well as the convenience. Sometimes I even text members of my household from one room to another. I don’t have a smartphone, though, and don’t want one. I think we’re going to end up being very sorry that we’ve become so dependent on electronic devices and that we’ve had the bad judgment to link up their systems. This luxury may be a historic blip that simply doesn’t last very long.