We come into this world with nothing. We leave with nothing, and yet we spend so much time and energy acquiring things.
In Plymouth, Massachusetts, you can hear from descendants of the Wampanoag – the native American tribe without whom the Mayflower Pilgrims might have perished. The pilgrims arrived with a their very Anglo Saxon concept of land ownership and the Wampanog must have wondered why these Europeans wanted to give them things.
If someone came up to you and told you they wanted to give you money for an experience you had last year you might say think they were crazy but you would thank them for their generosity and tell them to knock themselves out. How then would you then react when you suddenly needed to call on that experience, only to find it had disappeared from your memory?
The concept of owning is not a genetic imperative. Another need comes first: survival, food, shelter, providing for those you love. Owning things allows you to meet those other needs but at some point the stuff itself becomes the need: more land, more clothes, more gadgets and toys… or if you’re a cyclist, more bikes. Time with loved ones diminishes in importance, and you waste time and energy on things that shouldn’t matter. (Happiness and health do matter. )
I live in a country where there is a strong drive to acquire stuff, especially if it’s free (and shiny). Yet the joy is ephemeral.
No lecture here. Just some morning thoughts as I realise I did grab the airline goodie box from my flight last week, because it was free – and shiny – even though it’s full of things I don’t need. This posting is also an opportunity to finish off with the genius that is George Carlin, and share with you his thoughts on stuff.
