Tag: dailyprompt-2071

Keeping It Old School—One Repair at a Time

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Daily writing prompt
What brands do you associate with?
View all responses

When I was a kid, brands were a kind of social currency. Clothes weren’t just fabric; they were shorthand for who you were. Madre Khan didn’t have much, but she made sure I never went hungry or without a place to sleep. Back then, I thought the right label could hide the lean years. We lived through the “generic” craze—plain white packaging, bargain prices—and adults preached, “You pay for what you get. Quality costs.” It felt like gospel.

For years I carried those lessons forward. My loyalties were automatic: Dickies for everyday wear, Logitech for office gear, Apple for everything but my phone. I even joked about being a brand whore, because at least I knew why I liked what I liked. My stepmother once shook her head at how casually I spent, but I’d tell her I bought what I needed and rarely worried about price. Quality justified the tab.

Lately, the gospel rings hollow. The “solid” names I grew up trusting don’t always deliver. Prices climb, quality slips, and you can’t put a price on quality now sounds like something printed on the inside of a fortune cookie. More than once, a no-name hard drive or keyboard has outperformed the legacy brand at half the cost.

These days I notice another shift. I own plenty of off-brand gear that works just fine for what I need. Retirement changes the math: I don’t need professional-grade tools anymore, but the ones I have will serve until they die. I used to research only within the circle of names I trusted; now the field is so crowded you watch the distributor more than the logo. Even established vendors let quality control slide, which often leaves me repairing old equipment or building my own replacement. I don’t buy desks or bookshelves anymore—I build them. I’ve started refurbishing old furniture and appliances with lower-grade tools and find the process oddly satisfying.

Just today I paused mid-essay to repair an outdoor extension cord. A simple fix would’ve done the job, but I couldn’t resist the upgrade—added roughly twenty-five feet for good measure. It’s a small thing, but it says a lot: why settle for a patch when you can quietly rewrite the boundaries of your backyard? Somewhere, Madre Khan is smiling at the sight of me splicing wires with the same patient curiosity she once showed when I tore things apart for parts.

I still research before I buy, but loyalty no longer seals the deal. If a nameless drive stores my files without complaint, it wins. If a plain keyboard keeps up with my writing, I don’t care whose badge sits on the box. The brands I associate with now aren’t names—they’re the ones that keep their promises.

Maybe that’s the real lesson: value isn’t in the logo, it’s in the follow-through. Childhood taught me to chase quality. Adulthood taught me to measure it myself. These days my motto is simple—get the most bang for the buck and enjoy the build along the way.

Things aren’t like they used to be …

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Daily writing prompt
What brands do you associate with?
View all responses

DAILY PROMPT RESPONSE

A year ago, I could name brands I use regularly without hesitation. I’ve been using them for most of my life. However, I’ve noticed recently that the brands we used to think were solid have fallen to the wayside. Increasingly, I’ve become more disappointed with the products offered by the brands I’m used to using. My brothers and I, on several occasions, went with a less expensive option instead of using the brands we’ve used most of our lives. I can point to two reasons for this shift.

First, quality and price point: It makes no sense to pay top dollar for an inferior product. In several cases, our work has a no-skimping motto.

“You can’t put a price on quality!” This is very true in some cases, but it’s becoming hollow words found in old books.

This statement rings in my head whenever I look for a replacement or an addition for the shop or the lab. As a writer, I find it necessary to replace equipment as much as some other industries. In my opinion, as long as you can open a word processor program, the keyboard works, and you have a decent laser printer, you’re golden. As a visual artist, things become complicated rather quickly.

Processing video, editing photos, or creating composition art can be done on older machines, but the necessity of a “Dammit Doll” becomes apparent. A “Dammit Doll” is a stuffed doll that comes in various forms whose purpose is to bang it against something (your choice) while screaming dammit. My Irish twin bought me one a few years back, and I might need to give her a call to get a new one. Every year, she gives me a new device to relieve my stress; perhaps she’s trying to tell me something.

The point of this is I needed to replace my external drives. I had to consider different manufacturers because the brands I have been using for decades are crap. So, I found less expensive options. They’re designed for something else but will do nicely for video, photo, and writing draft storage. With the money I saved, I was able to purchase two. I had enough left for a guilty pleasure. It’s always nice to buy a guilty pleasure from time to time.

Products aren’t made like they used to be, too, though brand loyalty has beaten into our heads. Be open-minded and select the best product to fit your needs. Here are a few things I use. Perhaps they will help.

  • Determine your need—This is the most crucial step of the process. You can’t establish a budget or begin researching products without knowing exactly what you need. It makes no sense to buy something that doesn’t fulfill your needs just because its price fits your budget. “I can get by with this,” or “This is just as good.” Yeah, I hear you. Been there several times. Here’s what I have to say about it … Cut that shit out!
  • Establish a budget—I have a budget in mind before I purchase anything. However, I can’t do this without determining my needs. By determining my needs, I know how much money I need to raise. I try to never go over my budget. However, sometimes, when you start researching a product, you find it is more expensive than you initially thought. It may change based on your needs. Be flexible.
  • Do your research – With information readily available, there is no longer an excuse for not being an informed consumer. Read the product reviews from other consumers, and be careful; there is much misinformation out there. Also, there are videos on YouTube about products that can be useful. Many manufacturers provide user manuals on their websites. You read about the product before purchasing anything.

Until next time …Peace

I’m Such a Brand Whore.

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What brands do you associate with?

PROSE – RANDOM THOUGHTS

When I grew up, we were defined by the clothes we wore. At least, I thought so. Madre Khan was poor, but she did the best she could. There was never a night I went to sleep hungry or ever wondered where I was going to lay my head. A fact I can certainly appreciate now, even if I didn’t know how then. It’s funny how we sometimes realize how fortunate we are until much later. I suppose it always works that way.

During my childhood, we had the “generic” label craze. I can remember being glad it was over, but now I find myself a little nostalgic. We were raised on the ideals like.

“You pay for what you get.”

“You pay for quality.”

I could go on for days, but I’m sure you get the idea because you have heard them a time or two. I remember my stepmother complaining about how I spent my money. I smiled and told her I buy what I need; I rarely worry about the price. She looked at me like I had lost my mind. I imagine to her I had. She grew up during an era when things were tight and scarce.

I wear Dickies apparel for leisure on most days. I hardly entertain anything else. I like the way they feel and their durability. Most of my office accessories are Logitech because they typically make a solid product with a good life. I’m an Apple guy on everything but my phone. I have solid reasons for each of my choices. Well, at least that’s what I tell myself. If I change brands, I will research it if I can.

I wish I wasn’t such a brand whore, but I like what I like. I’m good with that.

~thank you for reading~