Stuff It!

 

 

 

I had my desk drawer opened the other day and my husband noted a large number of keys floating around in there.  Logically he asked me what they were for and I responded “Not a clue!”  That inspired him to write his most recent column, and apparently inspired me as well.

 

I really can’t tell you why I keep those keys, other than the fact that I have always believed keys are important even if I don’t know what they open.  After all, they’re metal, they’re heavy, and cut in intricate patterns.  Maybe I can make an arts and crafts project out of them.  That would have to be after I do the project with all the wine corks I’ve been saving for the past few years.  Which comes after I frame the pictures that need framing and put the others in albums in an organized fashion.  And after I organize all the columns I’ve written in the past two years and the plays I have collected, written and plan to write. 

 

I thought this was a column about accumulating stuff, but it appears I have drifted off course and am writing about my procrastination.  However, I now realize I hate to write about my own character flaws, so let’s get back to stuff.

 

Everyone has stuff, even people who claim not to be materialistic.  Intellectual-type freethinkers who ride bikes and drive beaters, sleep on mattresses on the floor and have thrift shop wardrobes become mad dogs if a fingerprint is left on their prized LP or CD.  Some people, who may or may not be named Lamar, collect books instead of money and value them accordingly.  Our primitive ancestors relied on collecting natural objects until they found tools, and then they created their own irreplaceable treasures.  I think that the fewer actual resources people have the more likely they are to value the stuff they do have.  Just ask anyone who has lost his or her possessions in a fire or natural catastrophe. 

 

Even my dogs have their own stuff.  Little one-eyed Johnny loves dog treats; not so much to eat, but to keep in his dog bed and growl at anyone who comes near.  A large collection of dog toys are carried around and sometimes incite ownership disputes.   Most domesticated animals become attached to a blanket, toy or found treasure.  Let’s face it, all living creatures want all they can get and never have enough.  We just all want different things.

 

A lot of our needs are the intangibles, such as our place in society and feelings of esteem, but we frequently seek to fill those through things we can see, touch, taste or smell. 

As humans, we differ greatly in what stuff makes us feel good, and what we feel compelled to accumulate.  Some people place greater emphasis on physical gratification, while others focus on spiritual and intellectual needs, but unless you’re a mystic on a mountaintop, you’re going to want and have a lot of stuff.

 

There have been two times in my life when all my worldly possessions fit into my car.  For those brief times, I remember feeling free.  I had what I needed:  clothes, a pot or two, personal grooming items and my dog.  Once I was re-established, however, the insidious process began again.  Dishes, furniture, things to hang on walls, more pots and pans, appliances, etc. etc. seem to multiply like rabbits.  The last time I moved the amount of stuff was mountainous and mostly unnecessary. 

 

I think having so much stuff is somewhat paralyzing, like all those projects I’ve never completed, or even started.  It’s presence is either literally or figuratively a closet, packed so full that if you open it you will be buried under an avalanche of shoulds—or maybe just old shoes and handbags.  Once every couple of years I find the burst of energy that impels me to clean house and fill trash bags that I then cart to a thrift store bin, because yard sales take way too much energy and organization.

 

Recently I’ve been asking myself what are the things I cannot bear to be without.  If I eliminate basic needs and living beings, I’m left with things that make me feel good and occupy my mind.  The latter involves book and my ever-increasing computer dependency.  Feeling good, for me, has several aspects.  I like to be among things that remind me of people I love: pictures, gifts and keepsakes.  I don’t know much about feng shui, but I know colors, placement and a sense of order create inner peace. 

 

An interesting exercise would be to list 10, and only 10, things you cannot imagine not having when you wake up each day.  In these economically troubled times, it might be reassuring to see how little you really need to live the meaningful life.

 

Addendum 2014, My Ten Things

 

MY

1. Cell phone
2. Laptop computer
3. Shaved ice machine
4. Make-up mirror
5. “Purlie Victorious” album
6.  red boots
7. Picture of my mother’s family
8. Om plate from Kolkata
9. Glass “Peace” plate
10. Wedding ring