Stuff II

Stuff II

OK... So... The auction happened. It was... Let me digress a bit please.

Thursday I walked into our now former “home” and it looked like a thrift store, the auction people had moved everything we owned to the main floor and arranged it to be sold quickly and efficiently. Please keep in mind that we love thrift stores, most of what we wear comes from va... oops a certain thrift store in Nanaimo and Victoria and... (not sure I can name names on the blog ;) )

Anyway, it was kinda weird seeing all our worldly belongings laid out and arranged to be sold. I have to admit, I had a meltdown when I saw a few of the things that were up for sale. I am not as stoic as I thought I would be (i.e., I am a sap). Monday when I went into the house, it was empty except for a few things that had not be picked up yet. About 10 minutes after I got there, the auction people showed up to take the last few boxes of things that didn't sell to a local thrift store (irony, eh?). Seems that in the digital age, books are not big sellers. The lady that ran the auction came in and we hugged. She asked me how I was doing and with quivering lip, I said OK (yep, sap). She then handed me a bag with all the chits of all the things sold (prices marked on each one) and a cheque for our cut of the sales.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

25 years together and another 30 or so of life prior to being together reduced to 4 figures. All the hours and wages and toil and sacrifices to amass all the stuff that was sold suddenly reduced to a cheque with 4 figures on it. Kick in the gut does not exactly express the sentiment. When I showed the cheque to Penny, she was reduced to tears (for those that know Penny, you will know that this is no mean feat). Now here I sit tonight writing this blog entry after a few, ahem, glasses of wine while reflecting on what just happened.

Pause and reflect…

1… 2… 3… 4… 5...

About 2 months ago, the house next to our former downstairs neighbour's new abode burnt to the ground in the middle of the night. The people in the house were lucky to get out with their lives, let alone the clothes they had on when they went to bed. They lost everything, totally and completely. Any sentimental or precious stuff they had was suddenly gone, poof! I have been thinking about this everyday for the past month leading up to the “AUCTION”. You see, Penny and I have chosen to give up our stuff, they did not choose. Yet… we feel the tug, the attraction, the hold that our stuff had on us. The people who lost everything, well they LOST it, no choice in the matter. I am sure they feel the tug and attraction just as us, maybe even more so. So I keep thinking, why do I feel the way I do when I choose to “lose” 98% of my stuff? I wish I had a good answer right now, I don't…

But… It has really made us start to realize what is important in our lives and that, well, stuff is just stuff. Sure the family pictures, memorabilia has emotional strings but other than that, its just, well… stuff. Chairs can be replaced. Computers can be replaced (with better and faster ones for sure :) ). Clothes, well they are just covering for the body and if you are not a slave to fashion (love David Bowie's 80's tune “Fashion”), you can just go to va… well, that thrift store and get some more body coverings. And the automobile… LOL one of our friends lent us a white, smallish, older SUV with a hole in the exhaust. Talk about status! I am sure cool driving it (legend in my own mind!!!) You see, I sold my really super cool, black 49cc scooter so I need some wheels for the last week of work. Did I mention that there is a huge, homemade, honkin' trailer hitch on the front bumper of said white, loud, smallish SUV :) (you rock Norm!).

And you know, regarding security that stuff brings you… well… It's crap!!! Penny and I both feel free, liberated! (I am sure the marketing people of whatever corp. that owns this bloggosphere are ready to cut me out right now!!!) There is no security in the stuff or amount of stuff or the type of stuff or the value of the stuff that we own! Take that consumerism! Truly, that 4 figure cheque we got today, well, that is the price of freedom (OK, picture Mel Gibson's Braveheart here or that goofy Scottish elevator skit on You… that video site) FFFFFFFFFFFFRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDDDOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Editor's Note (LOL) This was written a few days ago and posted today, like last time, best laid plans...