Reject Modernity, Embrace Tradition: Reject Apple Pay, Embrace the Wallet

“When you’re going on a date with a guy and he uses APPLE PAY it’s a little bit of an ick. But when he pulls out his wallet and it's like (laughs)... worn leather with finger prints on it. And like on the inside it's a condom… like a durex! Like a gold one you know… A Magnum! Ribbed for women's pleasure and THEN he pulls out his card and he taps it, that's sexy.” - Amelia Daisa

October 20, 2014, marked the introduction of Apple Pay. A digital wallet and online payment system that allows users to make secure purchases using their iPhone. Brilliant, right? WRONG. Apple Pay and digital tap-to-pay are yet another technological innovation that is poisoning our culture, history, and, dare I say, fashion. Now, many of you have fierce emotional connections towards Apple Pay. My goal in the next five minutes of this article is to encourage you to consider using your wallet the next time you're out and about.

The History of the Wallet 

Bear with me here, it's pretty interesting, I swear.

Just like everything else in this world, wallets can be traced back to ancient Greco-Roman times (shoutout to my Ancient Greek & Roman Studies students). The word “wallet” traces back to the ancient Greek word "Kibisis." The Kibisis was described as the sack carried by Hermes, as well as the sack the ancient Greek hero, Perseus, used when he carried Medusa's head (AAAAAANDD shoutout to my Percy Jackson kids).

More notably, however, the origin of our modern-day wallet – although using a wallet to carry an evil-snake-lady's head around sounds fun too – was introduced during the Renaissance period with the introduction of paper currency. Well, actually, the introduction of paper currency can be traced back to 7th century China during the Tang dynasty. That said, this version of paper currency was used more in the form of promissory notes and less in the form of cash as we know it today. 

It wasn’t until the mid-17th century that our beautiful modern-day wallet began to take shape. The introduction of paper currency in the Massachusetts Bay Colony marked the transition from coin-carrying fanny packs from the Middle Ages to our modern, fashionable wallets.

Lowkey bring back medieval fashion - I’d love to rock this

The standard wallet we all know and love today was created around the mid-20th century. With the introduction of credit cards, the style and design of wallets began to slim down. Research shows (and by research, I mean my Google search) that prior to the credit card, people would use and have different cards to pay for different occasions (e.g., dining, recreation). After ALL this, we now have a variety of different wallets… SO LET'S USE THEM

Where To Start Reading if You Skipped the History Part

“Daniel Daniel Daniel, why, boy with beautiful hair and an impeccable sense of humor, must you hate on my Apple Pay, it is so easy and convenient!"

GET THAT OUTTTT OF HEREEEEEE. 

Do not undermine the inevitable decline of humanity when convenience is introduced. Nonetheless, I would be an ignorant fool to state that Apple Pay isn’t convenient: It’s one less thing in your pocket, it’s one less thing you can forget, you can store all your cards on your phone instead of a bulky leather pouch that bulges through your pants or takes up space in your bag. I get it. However, I would respectfully argue that you are losing far more than you are gaining when using Apple Pay.

The Fashion, Utility, & Culture:

Unless you are truly one in a million, most people only have one wallet. One, singular wallet. When one chooses a wallet, it is a representation of who they are. How will you use your wallet? Perhaps a card wallet would benefit you the most, as you hardly ever use cash. Perhaps a bifold, the classic – an impeccable mixture of sleek yet effective. Perhaps you are one who uses the wallet as a simultaneous storage compartment. Hence, the tri-fold wallet is the way to go – although bulky, its intricate design allow for maximum storage for cash, cards, business cards you’ll never use, and receipts you hope to get reimbursed for your campus club that you know you won't submit to the treasurer until 2 months after the deadline.

I want you to envision my imaginary friend, Petunia. Petunia never walks outside her pink Victorian house without wearing her sundress, in which she has one for each day of the week. Of course, Petunia here, refuses to wear a backpack to school – oh, she would never. Instead, she relies on her loyal and faithful baby pink handbag. Petunia strives for organization but refuses to sacrifice anything for her delicate fashion style. Hence, a bulky trifold wallet would never be suitable for her. So her kiss-lock wallet follows her wherever she goes. Its color, baby pink, perfectly matches her bag. The sound of the clasps reuniting like long-lost lovers when she closes her wallet brings joy to her ears. It lingers with the floral chaos of her Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume. Finally, although she hates to admit it, she’s got a cigarette butt from two weeks ago that she stored in there when she used her “I only smoke when I’m drunk” rule at the bar for her friend’s 21st birthday (ie, the first time her friend didn’t have to use her fake ID).

“Even an empty wallet is a wallet full of representation” - Daniel Gilad (yes, I did just quote myself)

Wallets are an essential part of our fashion; they are a representation of who we are in our everyday lives. The color must complement the general color palette of your wardrobe. They must be designed to harmonize with your everyday needs. For your outfit may change, your makeup may differ, and your hair may change color more often than a bisexual going through a breakup, but a wallet is perpetual. Picking out your wallet is like picking a Pokémon; it stays with you no matter where you go. Let your wallet reflect who you are on the inside. 

Wallets hold memory, and it’s not just what’s on the outside that counts, but also the inside.
Take my good friend and housemate at Thorsen, Matthew Liberman.

Well, first of all, IS HE NOT A CUTIE?!??! (Ladies, hit my boy up!). 

I digress. On the top, you will see a handsome man holding up his wallet – full of love and, more importantly, memories. On the bottom, a picture of Will Toledo, singer of the band Car Seat Headrest, holding up two pieces of toast. Matthew here carries this image of Will Toledo in his wallet, and it follows him wherever he goes. I highly doubt that many people on this planet also carry a photograph of Will Toledo holding up two pieces of toast in their wallet – it’s unique, and this is precisely my point. That singular picture, more so the fact that this specific picture is one that Matthew chooses to carry in his wallet, can tell us a great deal. It provides insights into Matthew's interests, sense of humor, passions, and aesthetic, and can even offer us some understanding of who Matthew is as a person.  

It’s not only the build, color, or style of the wallet, but what’s on the inside as well. What can we derive from someone who only has a singular debit card versus someone who has six different credit cards?

“I noticed a Clipper card in your wallet, isn't the BART phenomenal?”

“Wow, you’re almost at 10 marks on your punch card! What do you recommend I get from that boba shop?

“Oh, you also got harassed on Sproul by that consulting club, I see they gave you a business card too.”

Okay, Let’s Wrap It Up

Bring. Back. The. Wallet. Have fun with it. If you still aren’t convinced, I deduce that you simply do not have a wallet that speaks to your soul. Go wallet shopping this weekend. Find one that resonates with your being, and you and your wallet will become one. Whether you value fashion, utility, or culture, the wallet can assist you in each of these realms.

I hope that after reading this, perhaps my original intention of even making you consider using your wallet the next time you’re out comes true. Our generation often chooses convenience because it’s easy – but easy doesn’t always mean better. Embracing culture and tradition can preserve humanity within itself. It adds color to this blank canvas, which we call life, and how boring would it be if we lived in a black-and-white world where everyone was the same? With the rise of technology, we have seen a decline in cultural values. Handwrite your journal entries, choose the black coffee and cigarette over the vape and diet coke, and reject Apple Pay and embrace the wallet.

Reject Modernity, Embrace Tradition

Daniel Gilad

(@daniel_giladr)

Image Sources:
Facebook: “Ladies if you found condoms in your Boyfriend/Husbands wallet.”

X: The origin of the word “Wallet”

Amazon: Coin Purse, Kiss Lock Coin Purse for Women