Y'know, stuff!

My name is Rick, and I'm a collector. Y'know, a pack rat….it usually seems to me that a lot of stuff is important for me to keep so I can read it or use it later, although it seems like pretty often I never get around to reading it or using it.

I love books, I'd fill my garage with books if I could get permission (not likely)….I'm struggling with piles of books that just seem to get taller and taller…

And I've accumulated lots of other stuff too, boxes full, y'know? I don't really feel apologetic about it, but I'm finally sort of making the transition to being more selective right up front. I just put more book shelves on the wall, for example, and I'm working on a personal pledge to avoid creating any new piles of books or other stuff. Wish me luck.

Anyway, there's a great piece by Gretchen Rubin in the August 19 Sunday New York Times, titled "Good stuff," if you like being surrounded by your stuff, especially if you can't help yourself, I think you'll enjoy this little excursion over to the dark side of being a collector….and by the way, Gretchen mentions that 1 out of 10 American households (but not me) uses a rented storage unit in one of those U-Stor-It places, and she cites a Department of Energy estimate that 25% of folks with two-car garages don't even park one car in them……yup, you know what's in those double-wide garages….

"Stuff" is a grandly understated word, especially when you're thinking about YOUR cherished stuff—the late great George Carlin did a few timeless skits on "stuff," and here's a YouTube link for one of them. Enjoy.

The wisdom of George Carlin