Thoughtfulness controls Pindiites’ lives today

Inflationary pressure has hit the Pindiites so intensely that once obsessed with the idea of procuring many things they are buying less at the present time even the necessities of life.

“City markets are still replete with shiny products, everything charms and fascinates. Yet, the thirst for purchasing things once showing signs of keenness seemingly gives the impression to be dying. Discontent and unhappiness have become the order of the day,” says Mehboob-ul-Hasan.

“This is true of lots of varieties of items like eatable stuff. Such is the case with traditional material like clothing that comes with recurring innovations and designs. Now we do not wait for the next fashion with keenness. Only the rich class can afford it now. Simplicity has got immersed into our lives almost right away, without creating a sense of displeasure,” adds Mehboob-ul-Hasan.

“Nowadays, a strange contradiction has caught us. Buying is not a big factor in our lives; we do not give larger-than-life meaning to our own selves, and the whole lot we purchase is a sign of insufficiency. We do not have a false image of ourselves, as we have stopped classifying ourselves who we are through what we purchase and possess,” says Murad Ali.

“Traditional basis of our distinctiveness is no more. The car we drive is quite an old model; the brand of dress we wear is the same one we used to wear many years ago. The decreased income defines us at the moment,” says Hijab Hussain.

“The old contentment of having a good income during bygone days, the profusion of potential buying that boomed within one’s brain, cannot be evoked today in any way. No amount of noticeable money today can measure up to the feeling of wealth that was experienced at that time,” adds Hijab.

“For the citizens of the present time, money is not a substantial value, and they are conscious of the limits of what it can procure. Their desires are far too much for any amount of money to be truly sufficient. Thoughtfulness rules our lives at present, and the decreasing income makes it impracticable for our aspirations to be ultimately fulfilled,” says Asghar Abbas.

“The notion of material comfort in the city is no more affordable. One has to think before every act of spending. There is no impulsive trip anywhere. We cannot pick up anything on a whim. We cannot buy extra stuff. People worry about spending money hastily,” says Shabbir Rizvi.

Nazia Batool says, “With the inflation going up every other day the notion of buying has become a burdensome action. The act of buying once imparted a bit of vitality to our life. It showed a sense of progress. Every act of buying was proof of one’s forward journey in life. However, that scenario has changed now.”