Stuff

The only time you truly realize how much 'stuff' you actually have is when you are moving. I don't think I am a pack rat in any sense of the term, but the more I pack, the more packing I still have left. I have been trying to be good about getting rid of 'stuff' I don't really need, but I always have a side of me that says, 'you may need that if...' Plus I feel bad about throwing perfectly good things away. Yet I have no near term need for Christmas wrapping paper, for example. So far I have managed to get rid of some items I no longer want but are still good. Between my neighbors and my local thrift store, their 'stuff' pile has grown.

On a deeper note, why do we really need all this 'stuff?' All it seems to do is further tie us to where we are. We like to be with our 'stuff.' For some people this is more true than others. One person can be perfectly happy with a backpack and nothing else, while others seem to like having mounds of 'stuff' surrounding them. As I look at all my 'stuff' I realize how little of it I actually need and how it really doesn't make me any happier. If anything 'stuff' is just another reason a person can get stuck where they are. After I essentially decided to take this summer off to reflect on where I want to go and how to get there, I am trying to minimize my interaction with my 'stuff.' I am hoping to closer connect with family and friends and spend a little time away from not only my 'stuff,' but also all the other 'stuff' people deal with in what is often considered a normal life.