After talking with my sister on Saturday, we briefly began talking about ridding our lives of the excess. We have gotten to this subject maybe 2-3 times, but never fully explored. Mainly because we had been on the horn so long it was time to make a realistic run at accomplishing something the rest of the day.
Is it necessary to accomplish something? A good question. I have learned what I accomplish probably has little to no value to anyone else, unless you domicile with other humanoids. Then things such as general participation of cleaning and presentation of the abode matter.
Now those things were not taught in college. It was not until my participation in the family structure began in which everyone plays a role. Here is how it worked. For five days a week you accumulated money to pay for stuff. All this gets put in the fridge, bank, closets, and the shed. On the weekends you had time to use some of this stuff and you moved it around until the five days started back up.
Decades later you realize almost all this stuff is worthless, except the stuff in the bank. The bank stuff is another subject. Not only is this worthless, but many of the activities, vocations, and minor milestones one may have achieved mean nothing to anyone. Then, one day you realize they mean nothing to you.
And this can be so freeing.
I'm not going to take the time to merge this into the excess. Now is the time to look into achieving nothing and expecting nothing. If the dog looks cold then I cover her up. If the armadillos dig up the yard I repair it. If we have food that needs ate up then I grill it. One day a week I go into town and get two slices of cheese pizza for $4.77 and toss a dollar in the tip jar. It is a weekly highlight.
Oh, and I jog around some in hopes of completing a 50 miler under the cutoffs in May. I found the Florida National Scenic Trail is 6 miles from me. Such a bonus. Here's how many other joggers I've seen to date...zero. Only hikers and dog folk. Good by me. Can't forget about the kayak and bird watching. Love it. Occasionally someone will ask about it. You can pick up some good stuff from other junior enthusiasts when discussing birds.
That's kinda how life is. Be more interested in others than yourself and you get something out of it that doesn't go in the shed.
DD, well said. Its a shame it takes us so long to figure out, the stuff is just, well, stuff. You may not literally carry that much of it, but it's a weight and burden none the less.
ReplyDeleteI felt that way in doing long distances too. After a while you figured out you need way less than you thought you needed. I remember packing for my first hundo. I must have had 7 drop bags. The last one, I had one.
And this post is exactly why I love reading your thoughts.
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