Another (very young) blogger was complaining that it looks like her future will consist of day after day of working, into her whole future, just so she could buy things, and how materialistic it all is.
I like the comment I left, and decided to repeat it here. It pretty much expresses my philosophy:
"The less stuff you need to buy to keep yourself content, the more you can save, and the sooner you can retire and do what you want. Happiness lies in avoiding competitive consumerism. ""Competitive consumerism." I like that. It expresses the fallacy in needing bigger and better than the neighbors' stuff, the "right" labels. It bestows the contempt it deserves. I can't believe it came out of my head.
Let's get up some kind of movement to end it. Who's with me?
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5 comments:
When I bought my 1st house the only furniture I owned was a mattress. An older friend had a house stuffed with gorgeous antiques. I bemoaned the fact that I had nothing, he laughed and said, someday you'll have this much too. Today I've spent hours hauling stuff to the shed for sales and give-aways. I've got dozens of books I'll never read again, clothes I'll never wear again (or can't), all kinds of lotions and potions that I've tired of, furniture that's in my way, artwork that requires too much dusting. I don't ever want another "thing" brought into my house. You spend your youth acquiring it and old age getting rid of it. Maybe the movement should be us olders giving our stuff to the youngers, then we will all be happy. They'll be able to scratch their feather-your-nest itch for free and we'll have glorious uncluttered space.
I am already there. I own a car that dates from 1992 that has well over 200K on the odometer, I own few clothes, with no labels that would impress anyone. I own about 4 pairs of shoes and have one purse which I have had for several years. Currently I have no makeup. I am not a collector of crap. Unfortunately the husband is.
*sigh*
In "The Dispossessed", Ursula LeGuin wrote "Excess is excrement". I lived by this for many years, until Xman and all his crap came along. Then I started buying stuff as placeholders for myself. I was completely convinced that one day, I would be completely buried in all his junk.
Still after ten years in my own house, the time has come and been here for a while for me to start decrapping the house. Like, now.
Dont get me started... If the corporate conglomerates have it their way we will all consume to the point of eating ourselves all for the sake of money. Must keep the money machine going higher and higher. Everyone can be rich! When I see the things people do to each other and the planet just for a few bucks it makes me sick. If we want real change we must start with ourselves and realize how far we have strayed from the simple truths of love, relationships, respect, and well being. OK, I will try to shut up now.
I don't have an eloquent response to this like the previous comments. I am with you, though.
May I post a link to this post on my blog?
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