Why We Need Whimsy: A Supermarket Reflection on Useless Beauty
In a personal essay for the German weekly newspaper der Freitag, the author reflects on the contemporary appeal of whimsy—the charm of small, purposefully non-functional objects. At a supermarket checkout, she observes a woman in sportswear buying salad, protein bars, and low-fat quark, and a mother with a fussy child purchasing sliced cheese, whole-grain noodles, ready-made bolognese, and Pink Lady apples. Her own purchase is a single item: colorful sugar sprinkles, costing 3.99 euros. She acknowledges that such sprinkles often sit in a kitchen cupboard for two years before being thrown away, yet she buys them as an investment in her long-term satisfaction. The essay is a love letter to the beautiful in the completely useless, suggesting that small delights provide the strength to endure. It ends with her declaration to live more 'whimsy.' The full text appears in the current issue of der Freitag.
Key facts
- The author buys colorful sugar sprinkles at a supermarket for 3.99 euros.
- She observes a woman in sportswear buying salad, protein bars, and low-fat quark.
- She observes a mother buying sliced cheese, whole-grain noodles, ready-made bolognese, and Pink Lady apples.
- The sprinkles are intended for cookie decoration.
- The author notes such sprinkles are often forgotten in the cupboard for two years and then discarded.
- She calls the purchase an investment in her long-term satisfaction.
- She wants her life to be more 'whimsy.'
- The essay appears in the current issue of der Freitag.
Entities
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