On Friday night, I watched the brilliant documentary "Searching for Sugar Man." The story surrounds Sixto Rodriguez, a folk singer from the 1970s known as "Rodriguez" who made two critically acclaimed albums, neither of which sold well in America. After his record company dropped him, he returned to working construction in Detroit. What no one in America knew was that his records were selling extremely well in South Africa. Like Bob Dylan was to the civil rights movement, Rodriguez was to the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa. His albums were selling more than Elvis Presley's albums in South Africa. To paraphrase one of the statements from the documentary, if you went into a middle-class home in South Africa in the 1980s and looked through the albums in the house, you would inevitably find the Beatles' Abbey Road, Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water, and Rodriguez's Cold Fact.
Despite the significant international record sales, profits/royalties never made their way back to Rodriguez in Detroit. (Where the royalties actually went was never sufficiently answered by the documentary.) After an extensive search by two South Africans in the late 1990s, Rodriguez was located in Detroit. They found Rodriguez living in a somewhat run-down house in Detroit warming himself by a wood-burning stove. He had continued to work in construction doing the jobs "others wouldn't do" according to his daughter. He was brought to South Africa to perform concerts, where he was greeted as a national hero. After selling out six concerts in South Africa, he returned to the same home in Detroit that he lived in before he "re-became" a rock star. He gave away the profits from his concerts to his friends and family.
What was remarkable was the humility expressed by Rodriguez in the face of his stardom. He chose not to remain in South Africa, where he could ostensibly live the life of a touring musician. He chose not to sue his prior record company for lost profits. He apparently had everything he felt that he "needed" in his old Detroit residence.
All of this led me to wonder about the concept of a "need" as compared to a "desire." Whether it is the newest mobile phone, computer, automobile, or clothing, we are often made to feel that this is something that we "need"-- something that will make our life richer and more fulfilled. However, how often does the rush that comes from the purchase of one of these items wear off all too quickly? How many purchases in the past year have made you feel "better" after a month (or even a week)? I'm not suggesting that Rodriguez's monastic-like lifestyle is one that we should emulate. I can tell you that the last computer and automobile that I purchased are two of the best purchases I have ever made. However, I am suggesting that before you look for fulfillment in something you plug into the wall, fill up with gas, or wear to the office, you may want to think about the concept of what is a need as compared with a desire. Think about exactly why you are making the purchase and understand what you are looking for from the product. If you make that purchase, know exactly which category it belongs and enjoy it for what it is.