The Turkey, the Kings, and the Art of Unplugging Your Luck
There’s an old Eastern European myth that’s been living rent-free in my head lately. It’s a story about a man who was perpetually, miserably broke. One night, he dreams of a mountain covered in thousands of trickling streams. Every stream represents a person’s life, their "flow" of luck and prosperity.
He finds his own stream and, to his horror, it’s a pathetic drip. Why? Because it’s clogged. He’s spent his whole life unknowingly shoving sticks, mud, and rocks into the source. In the dream, he frantically clears the debris, and the water begins to roar.
But here’s the kicker: back in the waking world, a nobleman tries to help him. The nobleman sends him a roasted turkey stuffed to the beak with gold coins. The man looks at the bird and thinks, "This is too rich for me. It’ll be gone in one meal." So, he meets a traveller and swaps the gold-stuffed turkey for three loaves of stale bread, enough for three days. He thinks he’s being smart and making his resources last.
The stream is unplugged in his spiritual world, but he realises that his habits and mindset in the physical world are still acting as a secondary plug. Now he can’t recognise a miracle when it’s handed to him.
The Kings Who Refuse to be Gods
I can’t help but look at the Kings of the oil and gas industry through the lens of this story. They are currently sitting on the greatest "Gold-Stuffed Turkey" in human history: the transition to clean energy.
They have the infrastructure, the capital, and the global reach to be the heroes who literally save the world. If they pivoted, they wouldn't just be rich, powerful kings that everyone tolerates and kind of hates; they’d be the rich, powerful gods that everyone worships.
They’d be the architects of a new era. But they are so terrified of losing the power they have now, that they are clutching their oil-slicked stale bread with white knuckles. They’ve plugged their own stream because they can’t imagine a world where the water flows differently.
It’s frustrating because we know we’ve evolved as a species based on environmental pressures, while those pressures might have made certain power structures feel inevitable in the past, the environment has changed. The pressure has shifted, but the kings are still trying to play by the old rules. Staying the same isn't safe any more; it’s just a slow way to go thirsty.
The Stale Bread in Our Living Rooms (And a Reality Check)
It’s easy to point the finger at the Kings of Industry, but it’s harder when we’re standing in the aisle of a massive Big Box retailer.
Look, I want to be 100% transparent here: I am not perfect. There are days when I can’t save up long enough for the ethical, sustainable equivalent of what I need, and I end up buying from the very unethical brands I’m trying to move away from. I’m not here to judge anyone for making the choice that fits their bank account in the moment. Life in New Zealand isn't exactly getting cheaper, and sometimes you just need a toaster that works.
When I took over Strangers Collective, I inherited some hangovers, stock that doesn't quite meet the 100% sustainable gold standard yet. We’re using what we have because throwing it away would be its own kind of waste, and we’re moving toward a better system one step at a time.
But for me, it’s about the intent. It’s about those moments where I do have the choice, and I make the conscious effort to pick the "gold."
When we buy a $12 lamp that we know is destined for the skip in six months, that’s our version of trading the turkey for the bread. We tell ourselves we’re being thrifty, but we’re actually just plugging our own luck. We’re trading the gold (longevity, ethics, and a healthy planet) for a quick fix.
Unplugging the Stream
At Strangers Collective, I’ve realised that my job isn't just to sell you a candle or a throw. It’s to help you find the gold in the turkey when you're ready and able to look for it.
Choosing an ethical, sustainably made piece for your home is an act of evolution. It’s recognising that the environmental pressure of 2026 demands a different kind of consumer.
Small businesses and conscious shoppers are the ones currently clearing the sticks and mud out of the stream. We’re the ones willing to trade the stale bread for the feast whenever we can.
You don't have to wait for the Kings of Oil to find their vision. You can start unblocking your own flow today. And honestly? A home filled with gold feels a lot better than one filled with old crusts.
AI Assisted.
