I forget who gets credit for first saying, “It’s the little things that matter.” but it is as true in this moment as in any I’ve ever experienced it. This time, it’s a new chair. I spent a while bemoaning the loss of my one, real luxury purchase some years ago, a Herman Miller Aeron chair. I lost it when I moved from Florida back to Georgia because it would not fit in the truck. That chair, snagged on eBay in 2006, was the second symbol of import to me; An indicator that I was, at long last, really recovering from the losses of 2000. (The first, a coffee press, was broken in Louisiana in 2004. You’d likely laugh at how hard I cried over it, mostly because I literally could not afford to replace it and it was the only real “luxury item” I had. Quite literally.)
I do not usually assign much meaning to “things”, “stuff”, or the material. But I admit, those two items were pretty important to me as reminders that it’s never really over and you’re never really “out” until you say you are so.
Anyway… I had picked up a reasonable office chair at a reasonable price when I got to Seattle. “Reasonable” in this context meant I could sit in it for an hour or two before I had to give up and lay down to let my body recover. I don’t know if you have any experience with arthritis, or if your experience is as mine. I have, it seems, become “the princess” from the tale of “the princess and the pea”. My bones and muscles are stupidly sensitive to pressure and it has resulted in some pretty ridiculous moments along the way. I’ve finally secured a bed (a major step forward) and this time, one I can actually lay on for more than an hour without physical complaint.
So, naturally, an upgrade to the chair was on the list as I must spend more than an hour or two in one to do the things that make up “part of life”, “enjoyment”, etc. (Thankfully, my employer actually has Aeron chairs. My work setup is blissfully painfree on the physical side.)
Considering it is “Black Friday”, I figured it was likely as good a time as any to try and find something soft, comfortable, preferrably with lumbar support (my “other” physical complaint), and at, if not a reasonable price, at least not a ridiculous one.
I wound up at Fry’s and while their selection was a bit smaller than one may see at an Office Depot or Staples (for chairs, anyway), what they lacked in selection they more than made up for in quality and pricing. I giggled to note that the chair I selected is apparently from a new line that is “NASCAR” branded. (While I detest sports overall, that certainly isn’t going to keep me out of a comfortable chair.)
The price was marked down 75% and I remembered the chair (and the affiliation and related humor) being priced normally so felt good about it actually being “on sale” and not one of the magical mark-up to mark-down things. It impressed me as well that the chair was manufacturered in America. I mean, really, when was the last time you could actually find an American-made product that wasn’t significantly higher in price? (Economic rant set-aside. You can thank me any time.)
I bought it, brought it home, and growled to find the ridiculous Allen wrench. (Aside: I really do wish they would offer standard flat or Phillips head bolts with these products.) Thankfully, I picked up a set of Allen heads for my cordless driver/wrench a while back and assembly was a breeze.
I am sitting in it now and feeling quite pleased with myself. It’s well padded, soft, good back support, and, best of all, warm.
It really is the little things that often make the biggest difference. And now, I have a chair to offer visitors and potential clients, too.