Keeping Up with the Jones

I grew up with this phrase. It was the late 40’s and all of the 50’s. By the 60’s it was trite and we were replacing the phrase; with what I don't know off the top of my head.


But 'keeping up with the Jones' was shorthand for acquiring the same or better lifestyle than the neighbors.  If they can do it, we reasoned, so could we. Parents said otherwise. So, the shiny new Schwinn was a wish saved for birthdays and Christmas. We dreamed of new cars, too, and wondered why dad didn’t spring for the newest buggy when it came out. We kids were excited at the new car models, but dad and mom were not.


Visiting neighbors, we were treated to their new TVs, new carpeting, and appliances we could only hope for. In time we had those things, but not when they were the newest gadgets on the market. We were slow adopters of new technologies!


No, our family was stodgy and not showy. We limped along with the 10 year old torpedo shaped Pontiac coupe. You know, the one with 120,000 miles on it. Dad got it during the war, and new cars simply were not available. The next new car came in 1951, a dull light blue Dodge. Getting it was exciting, but that soon wore out when we realized what a boring car it truly was. No radio. No turn signals. No power equipment. And in Southern California, no heater. Just new. Time did not enhance that evaluation, either.


I remember the day we got the new 1956 Buick. Boy Howdy that was a super car. Red and white, four door hardtop, convertible. You know, four doors without the center post. It was the newest thing of the day. Sporty and a little luxurious. And it had Dynaflow. Wowzer, that transmission was smooth. After that, a 1961 Ford Galaxie 500 came along. Two cars I know dad liked. All the rest were transportation. Dad was not one for keeping up with the Jones.


Mom was, however. She wanted the new washer and dryer, the dishwasher, the garbage disposer and the new car. She liked decorating the house, buying draperies and replacing the furniture from time to time. She was an American consumer!  Dad tsked tsked his way through decades resisting her urge to keep up with the Jones.


My tastes followed my mom’s. Cars, shoes and watches are still of particular attraction to me. I don’t need them as much as I once thought, nor do I have the disposable income to afford them.  But then my wife through many of those years felt the same as my dad: no sense keeping up with the Jones. I 'suffered' until the divorce. Then I had a ball. But now, aging causes a drop in consumer goods fascination. But hey, the income is now used for health-related expenses.  The rhythms of life do have their toll.


As we learn to live with less, it is what is in our minds that interest us most. Thinking, reading, writing and sharing all of the content, that’s what occupies our time these days. And there is little associated expense for any of it. No repairs, no adjustments, no polishing or waxing. Just thinking and enjoyment.


Come to think of it, there are no Jones to compare this with; nor would they be interested if we could find them. So, two things solved in one stroke: saving money, and getting along with what you have.


I think that is what dad was trying to tell me back in the day.


August 20, 2019