My friend returned from a year and a half with MSF in Africa, working hard, and living minimally. She returned home reluctant to deal with her personal belongings that had been in storage the entire time. "I just don’t want any stuff".
Sitting in my comfy home on my nice sofa, surrounded by the things I'd collected and decorated my apartment with, I couldn't relate. But when I then put all that stuff away in boxes, and was then faced with unpacking it all again in a new place, I found I would have preferred to just throw most of it away. 50% of it is necessary or vaguely functional at the most. The rest is just comforting. Or potentially useful maybe one day in the future - for some imagined unique situation. I sent unpacked boxes into storage, stacked a few up in the corner of the study. And I don't want to buy anything new or own anything more than I already have. I want to start using it up and throwing it away.
Ironically, since moving here I've had to buy new stuff. But only basics that this rental apartment failed to provide.
Happiness is a clean new toilet seat, a toilet roll holder, a shower curtain to keep the water off things that shouldn't be wet, a shower head that actually works, a light bulb so I can see inside the fridge at night, and thermal curtains for the fiercest western sun I've ever had to squint and sweat into.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
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