A problem with commitment

Haven't wrote anything in my blog for a long long time. And right now, I am suffering from a major writer's block as a result of not having wrote anything in complete sentences for a long, long time. I had grand plans for my blog - an easygoing, no-qualms-no-pressure-low-cost way of maintaining my writing skills so that it doesn't rot away. At the same time, it will be a repository for my thoughts, flashshots of snippets of my life that can be read and reread at a later stage in my life. And it will also be an avenue for my cathartic outbursts at life, as an alternative to taking it out on my friends.

BUT, as introductions like this usually go, my high expectations for my blogging experience is only matched by my equally insurmountable problem with commitment. Yes, there was once when writing a blog was a relaxing thing to do. I write whenever I feel like it, and it turns out that these "feel-like-it" moments come all the time! And so, I happily decided to do a rather logical thing. I made it a point to write at least twice a week. Smart me!

AhhA, the strange thing is that once I made my interest into a commitment, everything stopped. I ran out of time. I had no inspiration. I came up with a hundred excuses to not write today, my favorite lately being: I will do it tomorrow. (which is a really convenient excuse, since it reassures the listener that the person is still willing to do it)

So, today I decided to play a little psychological game with myself. I am going to make it a commitment to not write as much! A daring foray against commonsense. Life's little mysteries. I have used tactics like this against nobody but myself, and to great success too! I am starting to suspect that my rational mind is more underdeveloped than I think.

Ahh, whatever that works, works for me. Playing trickery with my mind is ok. Nothing like a little bluff here and there to put on a facade of flawless commitment.

Shuffling along the Limits of Consumerism Guile

I've succumbed to the Mac. I've always managed to triumph over my previous pangs of desire to purchase these devilishly attractive gizmos by convincing myself that these things were far too costly for what they are worth.

And then along came the Ipod Shuffle. No, this Mac gadget, like all its predecessors, definitely lies not anywhere in the "decently priced" or "value for money" price range. Rather, for the simple design and features that it possess, this piece of white plastic sits just an inch away from being ridiculously overpriced.

And then you might ask me - "So why did you buy it?"

The truth is, I honestly do not know. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I have been looking longingly at Mac products for such a long time now. Each time the same thought runs through my head: "Damn! I'll jump on this thing right now if only it cost less than a hundred!". So far, this tactic seemed to have worked wonderfully.

Until now. The problem now is that the Ipod Shuffle is ingeniously priced at $99. A dollar below $100! I have been hit below the belt. My last line of defense crumbles against my raging consumerism desires! The marketing people at Apple have discovered the Archilles heel of the another bunch of survivors standing firm against the endless waves of Ipod releases. The $100 barrier has been breached! I can finally own an Ipod and become part of this cool new breed of human beings who pay exorbitant prices in exchange for a piece of an Apple gizmo in their hands!

So what if the Shuffle has no display, and so what if it has less functions than my ten year old Sony walkman. Everyday I find new reasons to convince myself that my investment is worthwhile. How's that! The crowning glory of the highest form of marketing - self convincing customers who take on the burden of finding reasons to justify buying your product at a ridiculous price! No need to advertise ever again!

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Note: In spite of all my ranting, I do, in fact, love my Shuffle a lot.