He has lived simply all his life. My father is a simple man.
Mother told me once it felt unusual for people of her generation to self-indulge. “Buy something expensive for myself?” It seemed wrong.
India has been a poor nation for most of its existence. Consumerism and a semblance of prosperity only begun recently.
People are habituated to certain patterns of things, including a pattern of consuming stuff. They have a number in their minds over which they feel uncomfortable spending. My father kept asking me not to buy him a jacket which I told him came for Rs 1600 (it actually cost Rs 1800). He told me not to buy something so expensive for him.
The folk of my generation do buy expensive items. It’s only now I have realized my parents shopped differently from me.
There is also a difference in the ways of shopping in stores and purchasing stuff online. The elder generation has a hard time fathoming the idea of returning stuff. My father tries to dump items he doesn’t fancy onto someone else, craftily rationalizing its use to the other guy.
Father’s original size is XS or 36. He has struggled to find well-fitting clothes all his life. But I can locate him great variety in that size on Myntra and Amazon. So now when I am ordering clothes online for my parents, they see a different dimension.
However I am doing it more out of necessity, as we are still in the pandemic. We are also unaware of the market in Kolkata.
Father keeps talking about the articles when he is awaiting delivery. He also inquires me about my clothes and their brands. Now that he knows he can order stuff through me, he gives me a hint of something he desires. When I sniff what he needs/wants I scourge the internet for the perfect fit.
In this period I have seen a side to my father I have never earlier seen. He excitedly awaits the orders, rushes like a baby to wear the new garb, and watches himself twenty times in the mirror. Mother points out his enthusiasm.
Both of us note his behavior and excitement is so similar to kids when they receive gifts. It’s a joy and a blessing to make someone excited like this.
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