When I say Friendship Day, the images that come into our minds are of the various colourful threads known as friendship bands, which were exchanged between friends when we were in school or the posters outside every Archies outlet reminding us, till date, to wish our loved ones by buying one commodity or another from the store to show our love.
Now, when you’re out of school, and the idea of friendship bands seems too corny, you willingly forget whatever you read in Marxism about the capitalistic society and the reification of objects and you do exactly what the society expects out of you. You go into an Archies or a Hallmark branch, and buy an object- a card or a gift which would then become a substitute to show your affection. In a fast paced life, when we have little to no time to reflect upon things, spending a mere hundred rupees to get the work done seems like the best option.
I am not implying that cards or gifts are a bad choice and cannot hold the sentimental value you wish for them to have. They surely can, but till the time both the people involved in the exchange focus just on the sentimental value and the thought behind the action and not the brand name or price tag that comes along with it. Have you ever imagined giving someone a gift which is not branded? Can you give someone a card which does not have a mark of a known brand like an Archies or a Hallmark?
Slowly and steadily, without us realising, we’re giving into the ‘commodity culture’ of our times. Rather than making handmade cards, having lunch with a friend or indulging in a proper conversation, we are using objects to show our warmth and love. The gifts might be further given to someone else and the greeting cards may go into the dustbins after a month or so, but time, which is the best gift you can give to your friends is still irreplaceable yet rare.
So, this year, take a break from the usual Friendship Day routine and try to understand your friends. After all, Chandler too wanted a VCR or a set of golf clubs, but he soon, understood the true emotions behind Joey’s gift and now we know them as the ‘Bracelet buddies’!
(I don’t think Chandler will be too happy knowing the name stuck around, though!)
Nishita Agarwal
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Image credits (For the Bracelet buddies picture): https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/
Feature Image Credits: http://assets-cdn.ekantipur.com/images/
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