What Do YOU Define As "Luxury?" And What Would YOU Consider to Be "Luxurious"?

[seoulsearch]

Not to take anything away from ol' SHerlock there, as I am a fan of his works. However, as an amateur herbalist(or a hippie as my kids call me), I can attest to the many, MANY values, visually, health-wise, and even food-wise, of most flowers , especially the weeds. eat your dandelions already!! haha But I do agree that God used a true artistic view and some amazingly intriguing yet beautiful touches when creating the world!!

To me a luxury is something we don't "need" to survive, but makes surviving easier, more enjoyable OR fulfilling. I can use a pen and paper to write, or even a charcoal and a piece of bark, but using my laptop to write this is faster, easier, cleaner and more people can read it. I sorta believe that human kind was/is God's luxury. We were created for His joy, In all the amazing beauty of the world, the most amazing discovery (to me) was realizing that I am/ we are considered His masterpiece. How fulfilled must God feel when another child comes to HIm. Kinda a beautiful thought. Happy Sunday!!

Praise God for His grace and mercy -- AND LAPTOPS!!

I make enough typos on my laptop -- I don't even want to think about trying to type a "real" post on a phone!!

I am so thankful to have access to a full keyboard.

Amen!

 

[seoulsearch]

Things don't do much for me anymore. For me, luxury is experiences. I want to hike the Dolomites, visit Greece, Africa and Australia.

So far I've been to 44 states, 30 countries, 4 continents. Things eventually go in the trash. Memories do not.

Wow, what an amazing travel diary!!! I have to admit to being envious!

I used to want to travel all over the world, but I don't think I could handle the long flights anymore, so I'm thinking about trying to make it to as many states as possible instead.

I completely agree with you about valuing trips (with family and friends) vs. things. I DO like some "things," but I'm always thinking, "Where will I put this, and what do I have to get rid of to make room for it?!"


The most luxurious hotel I ever stayed at was the Portofino Bay at Universal Studios theme parks in Florida:




It was gorgeous, and the best part is that it comes with free Express Passes for the parks (those alone make up for the upscale prices of the rooms,) and it has a dedicated ferry only for hotel guests that get you much closer to the parks than the buses or driving yourself.

Now of course, these are inflated theme park prices, so I'm sure people who are used to "real" luxury would not be impressed.

But for a girl who's used to Best Western and Holiday in, this was one high-falutin' place!!

My friends and I rode all the rides in the park in about 5 hours, with Express wait times being nothing to 30 minutes at the max. The regular lines were 30 minutes to 2+ hours. So we just re-rode everything we loved most, as many times as we could, for the rest of the day.

Anything that saves me time and lets me see/do as much as possible in a limited time span is always a luxury I will at least consider.

 

[seoulsearch]

now-a-days & in recent decades, that has become a delicate question. why? because the very 1st thing people will think is that you are bragging on what you have, where you've been, what you own, who you know, etc. in the past, i have received negative comments because i did this, that & everything else, been here & there, ate gourmet food & so on. it was never my intention to brag, didn't even think of it. my intention was to get people motivated because i saw enough postings of people mentioning that they never had this or the other, they never went anywhere, they can't afford nice things, they don't have ambition, they wished they could get started on something but are afraid of risk or all they do is watch tv. the meaning of the question has escaped some readers. it's "what have never owned THAT MOST PEOPLE OWN"! most people don't own lamborghini's. i think a luxury is anything that you never experience but 1 day you did experience it. something very rare in your life. something as simple as someone going to florida which is very common or attending a resort area. or hosting your 1st pool party. & by course, the "big' things like a vacation to hawaii, eating the world's best steak like hickory grilled rib eyes, kobe from japan, tomahawk steak, could be shrimp & caviar. you get the picture.
1. extra comfort: caribbean vacations, staying at the waldorf astoria, having servants, gourmet restaurants, best seats at ball games, class rooms on cruise ships, wine as in chateau lafite rothschild, bordeaux, rohnes, etc.
2. antiques, rare coins
3. Broadway plays, expensive hotel rooms, former sony club at yankee stadium, back stage passes at SPAC
4. private pools on cruise ships, private tables at restaurants

You have definitely lived an amazing life, @Karlon!

May God bless you and Thea.

 

[Karlon]

You have definitely lived an amazing life, @Karlon!

May God bless you and Thea.

thank you so much seoulsearch. you are kind & wonderful with responses.

 

[seoulsearch]

Well I don't live the luxe life, that's for sure

Cristal. Maybach
Diamonds on your timepiece
Jet planes. Islands
Tigers on a gold leash.

I'll never be Royal

or Posh.

I have to really think hard of what luxury for me is. Maybe it's something you dream about, like a desire but don't have yet.

I think we take a lot of mod cons for granted now, because technology has moved on. In the past, a carphone or mobile phone was very expensive and they looked like bricks and cost a pretty penny. Now smartphones are ubiquitous. (but some are still expensive).

A brand new car would be a luxury because there are lots of new things cars now have bells and whistles, air con, power steering, keyless entry, reversing cameras, blind spot sensors, gps maps, electric windows, maybe hybrid or electric , things like apple car play all of which are now standard in the new makes and models.

I remember there used to be a tv show called 'Beyond 2000' and it was all about the wonderful tech we could expect in the future. Things that would make life easier, and faster, and convenient. Anyone growing up now would be a 'digital native' and wouldn't reallly know anything else.

This would be how like 'Survivor' is. I always thought this show was silly and only for people with first world problems, because any true islander would not subject themselves to living a life without. I mean Pacific Islanders had to evacuate their own homelands because of rising sea levels, and here are rich well off people thinking its cool to take a week out of their lives to play at being Islanders for their own survival. For a game. ?! This is not 'reality'. It's some kind of fantasy land.

It's cool that you really have to think for a bit to come up with things that are "luxury" to you.


I think it shows a sense of being grounded and down to earth.

 

[Lanolin]

I had a think...

For me, time away staying in a hotel in a King or Queen Size bed with fresh sheets, and having room service, is luxury. A bubble spa, being pampered.
Not having to worry about the cost of anything. Not having to cook or do dishes. Having a pedicure. Being chauffuered!

Sometimes I think luxuries depend on the season too

In winter, being able to sleep in and not get out of bed if it's too cold.
In spring, colourful flowers and the fragrance of sweet peas/lavender
In summer...warm sunny weather with icecream, a cool breeze and shade trees
In autumn...a bumper harvest and a celebratory feast

Remember Jonah and his gourd vine. He didn't know how good he had it until he wanted shade from a plant that God provided. Jonah also wanted to see the Ninevites anaiahlated (sp?) but God was ready to forgive them when they repented. This put Jonah in a mood!!

 

[NightTwister]

Wow, what an amazing travel diary!!! I have to admit to being envious!

I used to want to travel all over the world, but I don't think I could handle the long flights anymore, so I'm thinking about trying to make it to as many states as possible instead.

I completely agree with you about valuing trips (with family and friends) vs. things. I DO like some "things," but I'm always thinking, "Where will I put this, and what do I have to get rid of to make room for it?!"


The most luxurious hotel I ever stayed at was the Portofino Bay at Universal Studios theme parks in Florida:

View attachment 294208


It was gorgeous, and the best part is that it comes with free Express Passes for the parks (those alone make up for the upscale prices of the rooms,) and it has a dedicated ferry only for hotel guests that get you much closer to the parks than the buses or driving yourself.

Now of course, these are inflated theme park prices, so I'm sure people who are used to "real" luxury would not be impressed.

But for a girl who's used to Best Western and Holiday in, this was one high-falutin' place!!

My friends and I rode all the rides in the park in about 5 hours, with Express wait times being nothing to 30 minutes at the max. The regular lines were 30 minutes to 2+ hours. So we just re-rode everything we loved most, as many times as we could, for the rest of the day.

Anything that saves me time and lets me see/do as much as possible in a limited time span is always a luxury I will at least consider

I would love to see Portofino Italy. It's crazy expensive. Portofino Pizza and Pasta where we live is one of our favorite restaurants.

Another crazy story. In 2019, I went on what's called a "mileage run." I flew Denver to Newark to San Francisco to Singapore. I stayed about 16 hours and then flew back on the same route. That's over 26K miles. The earth circumference is just over 24K miles. This was just to get gold status so I had perks. When you travel as much as I have, you learn status is everything.

 

[Lanolin]

 

[Lynx]

Not to take anything away from ol' SHerlock there, as I am a fan of his works. However, as an amateur herbalist(or a hippie as my kids call me), I can attest to the many, MANY values, visually, health-wise, and even food-wise, of most flowers , especially the weeds. eat your dandelions already!! haha But I do agree that God used a true artistic view and some amazingly intriguing yet beautiful touches when creating the world!!

Some might be edible (but be careful, as some can be poisonous...) But the color is completely useless. It's not even useful for attracting pollinators - they see a different spectrum than we can see, which flowers are also shining in.

But they sure are pretty.

Speaking of dandelions, did you ever read O. Henry's story about the fried ones?

 

[JohnDB]

A few years ago, the financial channels I listened to were talking about the Hershey company as a possible investment to consider (I know true chocolate lovers will shun Hershey, but I'm just using it as an example.

One of the major headwinds mentioned, even then, was the price of cocoa beans, and a report that storms had demolished crops to the point where it would take years to replace them -- predicting sky-high prices in the future -- which have now come to fruition.

I'm sure you know that Hershey got in trouble not long ago because they cut back the amount of cocoa used in their products, to the point where the label couldn't call it "chocolate", but just generic candy.

There was a major public backlash, to the point where Hershey had to backtrack and say it would return to their original recipes.

Except that course, the packages and portions are now much smaller, but with higher price tags -- and there are no longer discounts after major holidays.

50% off chocolate after a holiday was something many of us looked forward to -- but this past Easter, you were lucky to find anything $1 off (at least, in this area.)

Chocolate trees take at least 5-7 years of growth to begin producing the gourds/pods that produce the beans inside.

Africa and South America are the places it grows...but at least at lower elevations than coffee beans.

In Africa, the chocolate groves are being destroyed to find the gold underneath and China does not restore the groves to original condition when they are done. So production has dwindled despite contracts....eventually someone is going to have to purchase land and hire farmers.

In South America,
There has been a severe drought. All goods have been drastically reduced....this includes coffee, sugar, (ethanol).animal feed corn, citrus, vanilla, bananas, various produce fruits and of course chocolate.

Both together have decimated both the coffee hills and chocolate orchards. (Tea ain't doing so well either)

In Vietnam (2nd largest producer of coffee) they grow robust beans instead of the Arabica variety known for specialty coffees...
They are looking at an extreme labor shortage....machines have been doing more work than ever before...but at some point it still requires a human. They are at that point. Vietnamese Children have been abandoning their parents coffee farms in droves. They want larger salaries and better lives. But they also are foregoing marriages and children too. They too are having severe labor shortages from no marriages and children for decades.

 

[Lanolin]

What do you mean the colour of flowers is useless? Or were you just talking about dandelions. Dandelions are wind pollinated.

Birds and bees are attracted to different colour flowers. Bees prefer blue/purply flowers. Birds like red, orange and yellow.

 

[Lanolin]

Flowers fruit and form seed, so why would they be useless.



Is this just another Lynxism analogy that don't make sense. I've kind of given up mansplaining to him.

 

[Lanolin]

Flowers - fragrance
Flowers - nectar for honey
Flowers - colour dye
Flowers - necessary in the life of a plant to breed and reproduce, whether self-pollinated, wind pollinated, bird or insect pollinated.
Flowers - can be eaten but usually left to form fruit for us to eat.

I am sorry but in defence of flowers, they are not just there to 'look pretty'
How would YOU like it if you were told 'oh you look pretty. Pretty useless!'

 

[GardenofWeeden]

Some might be edible (but be careful, as some can be poisonous...) But the color is completely useless. It's not even useful for attracting pollinators - they see a different spectrum than we can see, which flowers are also shining in.

But they sure are pretty.

Speaking of dandelions, did you ever read O. Henry's story about the fried on

No, I have never read this. I need to expand....

 

[Lynx]

Flowers fruit and form seed, so why would they be useless.



Is this just another Lynxism analogy that don't make sense. I've kind of given up mansplaining to him.

*sigh

 

[GardenofWeeden]

Some might be edible (but be careful, as some can be poisonous...) But the color is completely useless. It's not even useful for attracting pollinators - they see a different spectrum than we can see, which flowers are also shining in.

But they sure are pretty.

Speaking of dandelions, did you ever read O. Henry's story about the fried ones?

Even the poisonous ones have uses, such as insect/rodent repellent,fabric dyes and so on.... SNap dragon while highly toxic. have medicinal uses for blood pressure and heart issues. Poke Berries can be toxic, or medicinal depending how used. Even Elderberries can be toxic, to some people, if eaten raw. God was pretty clever in His design.

 

[Lynx]

Why do people HAVE to find a way to argue? Why can't flowers just be a pretty thing God made because he wanted us to have some pretty things?

Nope, we're going to find a way to prove you are wrong, no matter what.

 

[Churchgoer]

Seeing some elderly loved ones who are confined to hospital bed, I consider freedom to move around, independence a luxury.

One brother was all independent until the morning God took him home, that's a luxury I pray for, that as long as I am in this world, God will grant me independence.

 

[LifelongLearner]

Hey Everyone,

I started thinking about this as I was reading @Karlon's intriguing thread in Misc. that asked, "What Is Something You've Never Owned?"

When I saw one person jokingly say that they'd never own a Lamborghini, I was curious as to how Christians define "luxury." Now of course, Christians can have fine or luxurious tastes just like anyone else -- but I'm guessing many Christians might also have a different perspective of luxury than the outside world.

People interviewed on the social commentary channels I listen to mostly saw luxury as expensive things or places that put them "above" "everyone else."

A quick Google search defines "Luxury" as:

"Luxury means a state of great comfort, ease, and rich surroundings, or something pleasant and expensive that you do not truly need. It involves using or having high-cost, high quality things that go far beyond basic daily needs, like:

1. Extra comfort -- Living with the best physical ease and rich surroundings.

2. A Non-Essential Treat -- Something nice to have or experience that is not required for survival.

3. High Cost and Wealth -- Goods or services that cost a lot of money and show high social status and a large income.

4. Rarity and Time -- Having access to privacy, personal freedom, or saved time that ordinary life does not offer."


* How would you personally define luxury?

* What is something you would find to be luxurious in each of the 4 categories above? (A night with your family? A weekend with your spouse? Something you've had on your shopping list? A new vehicle? A dream vacation? A few hours of uninterrupted Bible study? For singles -- a much-anticipated date? Etc...)

* Do you see regular luxuries as important to your mental health, or something you can truly go without (or somewhere in between?)


Here's my own example:

I see luxury as anything I know I should be extra grateful for.

1. Extra comfort -- I'd love to have one of the roomier seats on the plane when flying, but being a smaller person, it's not critical, so I never upgrade.

2. A Non-Essential Treat -- A food item I normally restrict or a useful but unnecessary item that makes me smile (new cartoon T-shirt, dishtowel with a cute character, etc.)

3. High Cost and Wealth -- A trip that's truly for fun, and not just to work (definitely rare.)

4. Rarity and Time -- A day off with no agenda is the ultimate luxury to me -- leisurely morning coffee and Bible reading, then being able to do whatever I want for the rest of the day.

I find that time to pull back from the world is my "luxurious necessity." I don't function nearly as well if I don't get that time.

Now sure, there are things I'd love to go hog-wild on that would cost a lot of money -- but I'm most grateful for the "quiet luxuries" that I can afford to take most often -- rather than the ones I can only dream of from afar.

How about your?

What are YOUR favorite luxuries, and why?

Interesting theme Seoulsis, 4 is the closest to what floats my boat in life but i'd include personal autonomy in that category. Sadly, think it'll cease to exist in the very near future.

Know we're often told we've never had it so good but i seriously disagree and think we're much lied to about our history. Historically, we could often start our own communities if the one we lived in was too oppressive/tyrannical; which is really difficult now and will probably be impossible in the very near future.

Hope that makes sense, don't want to post a long winded comment.

 

[seoulsearch]

Seeing some elderly loved ones who are confined to hospital bed, I consider freedom to move around, independence a luxury.

One brother was all independent until the morning God took him home, that's a luxury I pray for, that as long as I am in this world, God will grant me independence.

Amen, @Churchgoer.

Yesterday at church, there was a man missing the lower half of his leg below the knee. After the service, I went to pick up a few groceries and there was another man who was missing both legs.

I'm sure that for them, having whole limbs and being able to walk would be the ultimate luxury. It truly makes one want to cry over all the brokenness in this world.

The older I get, the more I ask God for an "easy" death -- an end of life where I don't trouble or burden anyone, can still take care of myself, then just tuck myself into bed for the last time, waking up "at home" -- and in heaven.