Three days and three thousand dollars later, I've pretty much unpacked all the things I shipped from America. Did I really need to have them here? Could I not have just started all over? This whole process of packing and unpacking made me think a lot about possessions in general, and our attachment to them. I've observed that we often define ourselves by and through our possessions (and Madison Avenue only capitalizes on this fact). My move to England helped me to let go of this notion (somewhat). For example, I remember once thinking I needed a larger CD collection to show I was a music lover. Well I realized during the move that those CDs were just taking up valuable space and had to go! The conclusion I've come to is this: While having beautiful things is great and should be enjoyed, they could be lost or taken away at any time; so know that there is always more or nothing at all and you are still the same.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Does matter matter?
Three days and three thousand dollars later, I've pretty much unpacked all the things I shipped from America. Did I really need to have them here? Could I not have just started all over? This whole process of packing and unpacking made me think a lot about possessions in general, and our attachment to them. I've observed that we often define ourselves by and through our possessions (and Madison Avenue only capitalizes on this fact). My move to England helped me to let go of this notion (somewhat). For example, I remember once thinking I needed a larger CD collection to show I was a music lover. Well I realized during the move that those CDs were just taking up valuable space and had to go! The conclusion I've come to is this: While having beautiful things is great and should be enjoyed, they could be lost or taken away at any time; so know that there is always more or nothing at all and you are still the same.
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3 comments:
What interesting and thoughtful comments on such an important issue. It has got me thinking about the things we need and want. What do we really need? Actually, not much. But look at the time and money we spend aquiring lots and lots of stuff that really does not improve our lives in any meaningful way. The end result is that we become possessed by our possessions.
Check out London artist Michael Landy's project Breakdown, where he systematically dismantles all his worldly possessions and then destroys them for all to see. Is he saying the same thing?
I don't think Michael Landy was saying the same thing...it would be interesting to know why the receipt of these possesions across the pond caused this thinking about them, but packing them up (egads!) to go to England, didn't?!?!?!? Unless you had a smaller place in America, and a larger place to 'store' them in England played a part...in any case, hindsight is always 20-20.
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