Looking positively on the recession/financial crisis.

You want to know my theory?

Less money means more good/memorable memories.

Why?

Well, when we have enough money to do so, we just go buy whatever - be it the movie ticket with all the trimmings (in the movie theater's own shop, that is!), the airplane ticket to our favorite destinations (and we want the hotel breakfast included while we're there, right?), all the ingredients to make all the "right" dishes in that new fancy cookbooks (and remember they "should" all be bought in organic delis and ditto specialty stores, too), and now that we already have the Louis Vuitton travel bag, we'll just HAVE to have the clutch AND the airplane bag to go with it, right?

But when we suddenly don't have the money for the movie theater's trimmings, barely have for the airplane ticket alone, only have money for the supermarket (which, btw, also sells organic produce cheaper than delis and specialty stores), let alone thousands of kroner - or hundreds of dollars/pounds/euro - to buy one single bag, we suddenly appreciate things more. The shopping for a new bag is suddenly unmanagable, and the longer we live without a simple luxury like a trip to the movies with all the trimmings or a latté at a cafe with our best girl, the more we crave it.

In such situations, a simple luxury could in theory be fading away quickly, and we're left sitting with a disappointing feeling - "Was that it?!". But my experience is that this is more likely the case when we do it all the time. We get used to it. So when we have less money, we're not able to do it that often, and each time we let ourselves go to a café, go to the movie theater, etc., it lands somewhere dry, and stands out longer in our memory.
As for the bag, I usually turn it around and see it more like a safari through the jungle of alternative shops to find a proper bag for cheap (since I'm guessing you already have a steady LV-pusher) - and that being a positive thing, another simple luxury. Shopping is probably something else we miss when having less money, but as long as we can look at a shop without buying the entire thing, a "bag safari" can be a treat. Or there may just be a bag that can be used at home - so an old impulse doesn't have to be in vain.

Some of my best lattés have been downed when I was in school - and although we do have educational grants paid through taxes here in Denmark, they're usually not leaving money for these kinds of simple luxuries - actually barely enough for rent, bills, and food. Luckily most of us are either able to work a little on the side (which can be difficult when going to school full time and having to do homework outside school hours) or having people who can help us out.
Anyway - point being that it could sometimes be difficult to find the money for the visits at our favorite cafés. But we - schoolmates and I - still did, and we had fantastic afternoons over coffee and pie.

Another memory I have from a situation with little money was back in 2005 - this was the situation I used as an example when commenting on the video (I added the comment in the end of this entry).

So, what other good things can come out of this?

If you ask my inner theologian (or just me for a Christian point of view), I'd have to go for the hope that people withdraw just the least from their materialistic way of thinking, and become more considerate to the people around them. Yes, I'm talking about neighborly love here. Be it financial help or just keeping eachother up - sticking together more. If one has some to give, the other may have the need to receive - and vice versa.

If you ask my inner actress/dramaturg, I think this could be the great chance of smaller theaters/productions, professional as amateurs. Not having a lot of money or ways to get a free ticket, people won't go to the big, fancy theaters for their next cultural experience. Small theaters are most likely to ask less for a ticket, and especially amateurs might just do this - exactly because they aren't pros. And buying a ticket for a smaller production is most likely also giving a chance to non-established names and giving others the chance of living out their dream and passion for theater - and giving everybody a chance to have a great time in sharing that cultural experience.
This also roughly goes if you ask my inner musician.

And if you ask my inner Dutch/English student, you can train your foreign languages and learn about new cultures. You don't have to pay to talk to each other or go to the library. If you have already paid you TV/Internet bills and are free of fines at the library, you're free to watch PLENTY of foreign TV (don't tell me your local networks don't air shitloads of American series - and as for the Danes: squeeze and drain DR2 for what they have!), chat, mail, search the Internet for info, and borrow fact and fiction from the library.

I've started to think about what you can do for less or no money - but I think that would be another post.

Of course I also responded to the video on YouTube. I did so in the comments area, where comments are limited to 500 characters. I think mine is on 499.

This is my response from YouTube:
Some of the most beautiful moments I have had was when I had very little means to work with - somehow I appreciate them more.
Example: It can be so easy to go to a movie theater, buy the ticket, and use a shitload of money on soda, candy, and popcorn. But one of my most memorable visits to a movie theater was when I had very little - but a free ticket and just enough money to buy soda and candy from a supermarket (MUCH cheaper than in the theater's shop!) and smuggle them in there in my bag.