STUFF!

Early this morning, before it was really time to start getting ready for Sunday School and Worship Service, hubby was reading the Wichita Times Record News. As I passed by his chair and glanced down, he very hurriedly turned to the next page. (he thinks I'm not very quick to pick up on actions) I promptly reached down and turned the page back to see what 'he didn't want me to see'.

This picture jumps out at me and the caption under it read "Organizational man can help you live better with less stuff"

This has been the topic of many disagreeable conversations around our house for years. We're engulfed with stuff! At times I feel like I am suffocating from all the stuff that has been collected over the years.
My New Year's Resolution: GET RID OF STUFF! Several years ago, when I first got a computer and started an e-mail program, one of the first forwarded e-mails I received was about this same subject. I printed it and I've saved it all these years.

"When we come into this world, we don't have any stuff, but come naked, and we are a little angry about being disturbed and taken from such a nice warm place. Now, our parents knew we were not going to have any stuff, so they bought us some stuff and put it in a special room to hold our stuff. As we grew older, we got a lot more stuff and needed dressers anc closets and places to store our stuff. When we went to school, we needed to get school stuff and how had two places to keep stuff.

When we got to be teenagers, we got jobs and had money so we could get more stuff, and we got a lot of stuff. Some of our stuff by that time was old, too small, or broken, so we got rid of some stuff, but quickly replaced with more stuff. Then we got married and brought our stuff together with another person's and got a lot more stuff. As I grew older, I got better and better jobs and promotions, and boy, could I buy stuff. When I retired from the office, the gang at work gave me stuff to remember them by.

As I grew older, my house and cabin at the lake were filled with stuff, but it seemed I could always find room for more stuff. Oh, I had some of the most beautiful stuff, and I even used banks and things to store some of the stuff. I had stuff in the garage, the bedrooms, the living and dining rooms and lots of places.

I gave my kids stuff and then got more stuff. My kids and even their kids gave me more stuff and we found lots of occasions to celebrate by giving even more stuff. Then one day, much to my surprise, I died and I didn't need any more stuff....and now, someone else has to get rid of my stuff."
Author Unknown

Now, some of you readers might think I'm certainly unappreciative of family gifts, family memorabilia, heirlooms, etc. This is not the kind of "stuff" I'm talking about. I'll bet we're the only people in the world who have a collection of old toothbrushes because "someday they might come in handy".....or used throw-a-way razors, empty shampoo bottles, too small clothing cluttering up the closet, etc. etc.

Does anyone out there know what I'm talking about? Anyway...it's time for me to get rid of my "old stuff" so I can get some "new stuff".