BLOG 44: "STUFF"
Well it is a gorgeous Spring day - but this is not where my mind is.
My mind is on STUFF!! I know I’m not alone with thinking ‘Dammit! I have too much STUFF!’
In light of everything going on in the world right now it feels ridiculous to fret about these insignificant things, but there it is – all the time at the back of your mind – that persistent nagging feeling.
Unchecked, of course, it can turn into a very real and overwhelming problem. We mistake our ‘stuff’ for security or for our sense of identity, our ability to take control or find order.
It becomes our normality and our emotional and mental wellbeing depends on the stuff!
I am not addressing the question of extreme compulsion here though, the ‘stuff‘ that is on my mind right now is quite specific, and thankfully, limited. It’s all technical hardware.
Chris and I moved into our new home nearly a year and a half ago and still had 2 huge boxes marked ‘screens’ that were still full - never even opened until 3 days ago. With the help of Matthew White, (one of my ‘sons-by-marriage’ / Chris’ eldest - great with tech), it was finally time to look inside!
We found a G4 computer (haven’t turned it on yet), a laptop (not working), a computer stand, cables and plugs, a USB multiport adaptor, a mouse (the electronic kind), 2 small speakers, 3 computer keyboards, 3 screens, 7 remote controls - for what we’re not sure,
a pair of scissors, a small mouse mat, a two-handset home phone kit, 2 old mobile phones,
a paperclip, 5 rubber bands, and a lip salve!!
We also tackled one end of the sitting room that I have successfully ignored for 16 months. This entailed making use of our old small TV screen for work in another room, plugging in the cassette player from upstairs, deciding the DVD player and VHS video player were antiques and incompatible with the new TV and that the turntable would wreck any vinyl, getting rid of old set top boxes and finding speaker brackets.
The music studio also got a minor facelift with greater things planned – that’s for another time.
We are left with some newly installed computer programmes, a box of hardware to give away, lots of ideas and a small shopping list. Now the boxes are gone, I can open the cupboard behind them. Guess what – it’s full of stuff!!
I conclude that the consequence of newfound stuff is twofold – either you uncover more than you bargained for, and/or you need to move all your other stuff around to accommodate it!
My Grand Plan is to travel light! Happy Spring cleaning all (Northern Hemisphere!)
Ps. Thanks Matt!