Washing my old car

Transcript

A couple of days ago I washed and waxed my car, a big, old Toyota Land Cruiser. Many people in Japan wash their cars every week, but I do it only once a month or so. My car often looks a little grubby because I'm pretty lazy about keeping it shiny.

On the other hand, I'm very careful about important maintenance. For example, I check the oil, coolant, and brake fluid levels very often. I even make sure that bolts are tight and that everything is in good working order. My old Land Cruiser has gone a lot of kilometers, but mechanically it's in very good condition.

Some people say that we live in a throw-away society. Commercial advertisements encourage us to buy things, use them for a little while, and then replace them with things that are new and improved. Many products quickly become obsolete. Sometimes it's hard to find parts for electronic devices or electrical appliances that are only a few years old. In some cases it's cheaper to replace something than to repair it.

Maybe I'm just stingy, but that seems really wasteful. I think we should take care of things and make them last. I know that I'm a little extreme. I keep things until they completely fall apart. I've been riding the same bicycle for over 26 years, and I still wear a suit that's quite a bit older than my students. I don't expect other people to share my old-fashioned ways of keeping things forever, but I think it's just good stewardship to take care of stuff.