A Repost from June 2006 About Stuff and Stress....

Sometimes I think about the place my husband works at and what they sell and how many they sell. Storage buildings, called mini barns. They sell so many it amazes me. The amount they sell tells something about our society. We have outgrown our closets, our homes and need more space for our stuff. We truly are a consumer society. People have so much "stuff" that they need to fill another building with it. Most of it packed in boxes forgotten. So, is it important then ?

In our old house, there are just tiny tiny closets in each bedroom. No other closets. My husband and I share a closet that is 4 ft long. I suspect in the olden days, when this house was built, normal folks, working folks, didn't have truck loads of clothes and maybe one winter coat for each person.
The other bedrooms have small closets too.
I heard on the television tonight, once again that we are one of the most stressed generation ever. That the stress of fighting off warring clans or tigers would not be as much as the day to day stresses of modern life. So having "stuff" doesn't seem to help us much.
I shopped yesterday, had fun doing it, and struggled today with where to put the stuff. Did I need any of it ? Well, the hat box will keep my hats nicer, but then do I really need those hats ? They are worn just a few times a year, when I am feeling in that sort of mood.
I never want to fall into the trap of being an acquirer. For me, its just easier to correct myself when I start to fall into that trap.
Heirlooms with family history that have heartstrings are something different, but just buying stuff because its a good deal is not really a good deal. They are just things that require cleaning and storing. That whole thing of attachment. And evidently we measure a bit of our success with how much we own. It hasn't made us happier people. As you can guess this is all for me and I am not pointing fingers at anyone, except our society since we all feel the need to fit in and have have have .
I do not want to spend my time with cleaning and moving all this stuff. Organizing collections and trying to find room for more.
Simple, simple, simple is what I really want.
I am grateful tonight for buyers remorse and how it keeps me in line, keeps me real.



simple beauty, pink poppies.
http://morningramble.blogspot.com/2006/06/stuff-and-stress.html
An old post that I still feel the same about.  Learned my lesson a long time ago and it sure has made my life simpler.
Why buy things that next year you will be taking to the thrift store ?  Why buy books and magazines that make you feel the need to buy what they show ?  Live on less and enjoy the moment you are in.