I have way too much stuff. I know it’s
too much stuff because there is no way I can justify it. I guess I
keep a lot of the stuff that I have because I figure it’s better here
than in a landfill. Sadly, if I could flip a figurative match over my
shoulder and walk away, I would.
There was once a literal match. When I
was a young man, a college student, I lived through an apartment
building fire. That was a long time ago, and I’m still a little
skittish around fire. I do not allow candles in my house. The fire
left me homeless with only the clothes on my body. For years after
that incident, I did not have much more than I did on the night I
crawled out of the fire. Years later, while still working at summer
camp, I marveled that everything I owned, including my bike, fit
inside my 9′ x 9′ tent.
Fast forward many years. I have more
stuff that I care to admit. Sadly, I have less stuff than the other
two people in my family. If there is anything that I want, I weigh
whether it will give me utility before I buy it. I also think about
how I’ll get rid of it when the time comes. I do pretty well, if left
alone. The two times a year I really start getting stressed are my
birthday and Christmas. Both days I beg and beg and beg everyone in
the family not to buy me gifts. For years, I asked for salamis and
tea because of those compulsive gift givers. At least with salamis
and tea, I know when it will leave the house.
This last year, I asked for sometime
very different for Christmas. I asked for private lessons with a
watercolor painter. I had always wanted to learn how to use
watercolors. Sure, I could have looked at a YouTube tutorial (I did
that too), but I wanted to have a class. I also know the artist I
wanted study with.
I was gifted two lessons with her. And
they were both great.
Learning new things is such a great way
to spend time and money. This gift of watercolor instruction has been
one of, if not the best, gift I have ever received.
I took both lessons in January. I put
what I learned to immediate use in February when Kimberly and I did
the second creative challenge of the year. We did the watercolor
challenge from Kick in the Creatives.