Silver Spoon
Lima, Peru

'Baby spoon and fork set: US$275'—I feel depressed.

A Wikipedia excerpt:

The English language expression 'silver spoon' is an expression for family wealth; someone born into a wealthy family is said to have "been born with a silver spoon in his (or her) mouth". In Australia, the expression "silvertail" is also often used, with nearly an identical meaning.

Silver spoons, because of their weight and number, are often one of the most valuable parts of a rich household's effects, a traditional target for burglars.

I seem to be forever locked into receiving e-mails from Tiffany & Co. because of a gift I bought a girlfriend several years ago. Try as I might, I can't get off their mailing list.

I was in the middle of messaging to my friend Tristan today, when we briefly chatted about the six pages of baby gear excess on their Web site. US$1,950 for a sterling silver piggy bank—yeah, that's exactly what the kid needs.

"This baby stuff is not surprising…" Tristan said. "At the Gucci store [in Los Angeles] they have bibs for $80; dog collars for $200–300… it's gross. What a waste of money."

"But who really needs it at that age?", he continued, "That's the confusing part. Like the kid will appreciate it."

"It's not about the kid, but about the parents," I told him. "But I feel depressed looking at this stuff because I think of the setting of the children that are given it. I extrapolate the scene based on the item and envision the kitchen where they're getting fed." …Generations of children raised by housekeepers, eating off a silver spoon.

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