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I have a fascination for stuff.

I have noticed that though most women can appreciate the niceties of these "things", they do not share in the enthusiasm that guys have.

be it their watch, new cell phone, new game system, electronic doodad, to anything as big as a lawnmower, pool table, bar, or even car...

some guys are direct in their approach, by calling attention to their new found item of the moment, while others are more subtle and allow the use of the gizmo to call attention to itself.

(I probably do both, but I'm more likely to be the former than the latter)

perhaps it is the desire to be envied? to have attention?

you know, it could very well be from the fact that my sister was born so soon after me that the attention that I should have had for a year or so longer was drawn by my baby sister.

in any case, it's all about me...

there are problems with having so much "stuff"

the problems include:

space - in many instances, stuff is stuff you don't need and end up never using. Regardless, stuff is made up of physical matter, and matter requires space, even if you no longer use it. When matter is greater than, oh... say, 30% of the space you no longer have matter or space, but it's hybrid...which is mess.

gifts - not that you really need so much from others, but having a lot of stuff means that no one really knows what stuff you don't have which means that if you can't possibly hope to get something you want unless you ask for it.

paranoia - when you have more stuff, you are more likely to get your stuff swiped, lost, or broken. You then become an anal-retentive jerkface when it comes to others using your stuff, so no one ever wants to borrow your stuff because they think it is too much trouble and then that takes away from whatever attention you want.

boredom - I think the fun of stuff is the actual dreaming of owning it. Keep dreaming, because the majority of the time stuff when stuff that is dreamt is owned - it is no longer as much fun as when you didn't have it. Since you have it, it loses its magic because you can use it whenever, so you put it off.

time - stuff that you own requires time to use it. you need to allot a certain time frame in which to use something , but sometimes using stuff isn't as much fun alone as it is with someone else. Therefore, stuff is only fun if you can coordinate time. Depending on your schedule in comparison to others with whom you would like to spend this time, this is either easier or difficult to the depths of pooh. (In my case, i think I might go deeper than the depths of pooh)

there are a few trains of thought which is probably how buddha came to his nirvana... but not that I would know, as I am not buddhist nor did I know buddha. Restricting the owning of possessions, trying to get as many possessions as possible, or moderately owning stuff...

it sounds like moderation is the right path, hunh?

sure - except for the fact that moderation is more difficult a balancing act than a hire-wire acrobat.

what stuff should you get? where do you draw the line? at what point do you think you will no longer need it?

lately, I've been trying to think about what I am getting in relation to whether I am going to need it long term, short term, frequency of use, and in the end - price.

then I have this list in my head of things that more needs than wants and more wants than needs...

in the end, if you try to list what you need to survive, you really don't need a lot... everything else you think you need just makes things easier, but makes cleanup much harder.

then there are things that you don't really need, but might "need" because of sentimental attachment.

I'm not one to say that you shouldn't remember the past, but there are times when you just need to purge.

home improvement is now a huge want on my list of things. it has far surpassed my desire for electronics, comics, actions figures, computers, games - both video and board, dvd's, paintball and its derivatives, rollerblading, snowboarding, sword and knife collecting, dj and audio/video equipment, clothes, shoes, and superfluous food and appliances.

... ... ...

it is amazing how easy it is to give up on the things you truly don't need when you have something (or truly realize that there are things, rather) so much more important on which to focus.

now please give me my get-up-off-your-ass pill.

... ... ...

b-b-bbb!*@# it's curtains...