I just realized that I might be addicted to stuff. You’d
never know because my home storage space is strategically set up to look tidy.
Not to mention the ample space in my four bedrooms/4.5 bath deluxe FS
digs. It’s not like I need to be
on hoarders, but I do have a meaningful relationship with the buy it now button
on Amazon.
I spent several hours doing some minimalist reading and I
realized that I have a lot of stuff. I feel like living in a beautiful space
with beautiful things somehow makes me more worthy. Worthy of what? I have no
idea.
I assume this has something to do with my childhood and the
fact that I didn’t grow up having a lot. I am sure there is some type
psychoanalysis that would show I am compensating because I equate stuff with
happiness. The whole idea is pretty ridiculous.
In the Foreign Service, Dom and I are allotted 250 lbs each
of UAB (Unaccompanied Air Baggage). That’s the stuff that shows up within the
first couple weeks at post and tides us over until our HHE arrives. We are
allowed to bring up a whopping 7,200 lbs in our HHE (Household Effects). This
doesn’t include the 2,500 lbs of consumables we were allotted at this post or
the fact that most of our furniture is provided by the Embassy. We’ve never moved our entire weight
allotment. But I have to questions if I really need to be moving over 10,000
lbs of stuff all over the world on a regular basis?
I had this epiphany once before on January 12, 2010. The
night of the earthquake in Haiti, Dom and I were allowed to go back to our
homes for fifteen minutes to gather whatever belongings we might need. We were
told that it was likely that our homes would be looted in the night. I remember
standing in the entryway trying to figure out what was important enough to
take, the one thing in that house that was irreplaceable to me was Dom. We left
with laptops, camera gear, paperwork, pillows, and a duffle with a change of
clothes and a few toiletries. Nothing else really mattered.
Four years later I am reminded that the stuff that I have
chosen to fill my life up doesn’t bring happiness. I’m not saying that I am not
happy. But my greatest happiness comes from relationships, photography, and
adventure. The real question is what could I be doing with all the time and
money that I’ve been investing in stuff? What about you? What
could you be doing if you traded in your stuff for experiences?
We are constantly trying to reduce our stuff. Particularly useful is the process of packing up the UAB ... and every time, we end up asking ourselves, "Do we really need that?" for everything that goes into the HHE. Every time we move, we try to pare it down a little bit more.
ReplyDeleteCan we live with less? Can we reduce, recycle, and reuse what we already have? Is there a way we can satisfy this need without adding more stuff to our home? Sometimes the answer is no, but most times, we've found that the answer is yes.
Great ideas Theresa! I've been asking myself many of the same questions. I love the idea of being creative with what you already have in the house. I think I do that in the foreign service regularly when doing things like cooking but there are many other ways I could apply it to my daily life.
Deletegood thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI too have an intimate relationship with the "Buy It Now" button on Amazon. =)
ReplyDeleteI may need to break up with BIN. ;)
Delete