KenyaOnAShoeString: Real Advice for Real Kenyans

There was a time when human life unfolded in quiet rhythms — milestones marked by intimacy, community, and modesty. A wedding was about two families uniting, a birthday meant cake and laughter, a funeral meant gathering to console and honor. Today, nearly every aspect of life has become commercialized, commodified , and packaged as a product. The question is: How did we get here, and what has this gradual shift done to us as individuals and as a society? A Brief History: From Simplicity to Spectacle The commercialization of life didn’t happen overnight. In the early 20th century, advertising was simple — selling soap, cigarettes, or clothes. But as marketing grew more sophisticated, it shifted from selling products to selling dreams . You weren’t just buying a ring — you were buying love. You weren’t just buying a car — you were buying status. By the 1980s and 90s, globalization and media pushed this even further. Imported images of “ideal weddings,” “dream homes,” and “perfect li...

Somewhere along the way, friendship lost its place in our hierarchy of love. Once revered as one of life’s most sacred bonds — full of laughter, trust, grief, and growth — friendship has now become, in many people’s eyes, a placeholder. A liminal space. A waiting room for romance, or a fallback option if romantic attraction doesn’t materialize. We are overdue for a return — to honoring friendship as a complete, beautiful, and fulfilling connection in its own right. One that does not need to lead anywhere to matter. 1. What Happened to Friendship? In many cultures, including Kenya’s increasingly digital and performative spaces, emotional intimacy is now tightly bound to romance. If you're close to someone, especially of the opposite sex, it’s assumed there’s something more . We don’t trust people to love without agenda anymore. This confusion is not accidental. A few cultural and technological forces have shifted the way we view connection: Media saturation : Almost every movie, sho...