Simbly Bored

I think the biggest trap I’ve ever fallen into is the, “I need it right now. It’s not that expensive, I can afford it” trap. The truth is, I don’t need most of the stuff I buy. I just like to buy stuff thinking I need it. And it sits on the shelf unused till it’s thrown or given away. Lots of things fall into this category. Clothes I wear just a few times, books I only read half of, makeup I never wear (or wear once), cream I never apply (I’m just a sucker for magical properties), food I can’t finish (I blame the package sizes in the US for that more than myself)…

It seems to me that we’ve forgotten the art of making do with what we have. I mean this not in the philosophical way but literally. If I begin studying, I wonder if I need to buy a notebook, not search for a half used one that I’m sure must be lying around somewhere. If I have to store something in the fridge, I wonder if I need to buy more plastic containers instead of finding a bowl and a plate to store it in. If it’s painful to carry something around (like a water bottle) I wonder if I need to buy two of them. There’s a box of tissues lying in the bathroom, the bedroom, the car, my desk at work and there’s a pack of them in my purse. I wonder where handkerchiefs went!

It’s not about indiscriminate consumerism anymore. I think I’ve moved on from buying stuff just because it’s cool and I can afford it. This is more about understanding if I really need everything I think we do. Do I really need enough clothes to rotate for several weeks? Do I need the pile of plastic containers? Do I need the three bags and the four lights and the five shades of lipstick to match the clothes I never wear?

I don’t.

Somehow, life seems a lot more complex the more stuff I have. It seems to clutter my space, my life, my mind and everything I own becomes one more thing to keep track of. What I really want to do one day is try and figure out the bare minimum possessions that will help me live comfortably without having to track them all. What I really want to do is be able to live with bare walls, borrowed books, a mat and two cushions on the floor a 32″ TV and an iPod…

There’s a way to double your patience with $400. Try flying Delta from Newark. If the constant delays don’t teach you restraint (grown women don’t cry, even if their flights have been rescheduled 3 times and delayed 4 times), the surly agents surely will (one mustn’t slap people however rude…)

I’m sure I did nothing evil enough in this lifetime to deserve this:

1. Memphis – Newark Connection: Delayed. Severe thunderstorms in Newark. The crew decides to tell us two minutes after we’ve all boarded the plane and fastened our seatbelts. Reach New Jersey at 1:30 am
2. New Jersey Train to the City: Train breaks down halfway through. Stranded in the middle of nowhere (warehouses, if you’d like to know) for 45 mins before heading back sheepishly.
3. Newark – Cincinnati (original flight): Delayed. Must reschedule unless I look forward to spending night at Cincinnati airport.
4. Newark – Atlanta  (rescheduled flight, two hours later): Delayed. Must reschedule for morning unless I look forward to spending night at Atlanta airport. Must chase checked-in bag at Delta Baggage Claim (rude, unhelpful agents)
5. Newark – Detroit (rescheduled flight, at 6am): After 20 mins and shuttling twice between NWA and Delta, realize agent from previous evening has booked me onto tomorrows flight instead of todays
6. Newark – Cincinnati (rescheduled for 5:55am): Cut my way through line at security check only to discover flight has been delayed by 45 mins (“missing” tow bar and truck!)
7. Cincinnati – Evansville: All goes well. Even Murphy gives up trying! Reach home by 11:30am.

Thank heavens my tiny baby niece is cute… But even the common quarter genes don’t exert a pull strong enough to endure this horror again. Ever!

Now I know why America is the land of gas guzzling highway travel… Besides, driving may be greener than flying anyway…