A waste to me; important to you.

I do not like to buy clothes. Most times, I'm forced to go shopping. I would rather spend my hypothetical money on writing equipment. A regular pen costs about R12, but if I could, I'd spend about R60 on one good quality pen.

I, wrongfully so, look down on people who spend so much money on sneakers. I say, " Why do you have to spend that much on shoes?!"

To some people, that R60 pen is an absolute waste of money, money that could have been spent on other things. To me, spending R700 on a pair of shoes is a waste.

Yet, that pen, to me, symbolises an experience. When I buy a pen that writes smoothly, I write letters to people and somehow, I am encouraged to use better words.

To another, that pair of shoes is a way to make them feel closer to their dreams. Someone may dream of becoming a basketball player, and they buy the shoes because they too, want to fly.

I am shocked when I hear of people spending millions on paintings. "What a waste!" I think to myself.

Maybe for that person, that painting takes them back to their childhood. It helps them hold onto what they had, what they wish they still had. So maybe, the question I could ask is, " What does this painting mean to you, that you would spend so much on it?" If there is no good reason, maybe it is a waste.

The analogy is simple.

We are different people. We have different skills, abilities, talents and different things are important to us. Therefore, our priorities are not the same. It is something I don't think I will come close to perfecting, realizing that what is important to me, may not be important to you. Hence, why it's so important to vocalize what is important to us.

In the Olympics, there's a sport called 'Curling'. I would advise you to go watch a video or two about this sport.

To most of us, this sport is useless! However, to someone out there, it's what they train for, and they love it.

So, if you were to marry someone who loved playing this sport, it may be ridiculous to you. But if that person were to speak up and say, "Hey, this is important to me," you would probably treat it differently.

It's simple: We all have different priorities, and unless they cause harm. let's respect them. Let's embrace our diversity.

There are different views about this topic, and I'd really like to hear yours. So don't forget to comment!