“Experiences, not things…”
In the span of ten weeks, my mom passed away, my dad sold his house, and we sold our house to travel the country.
My newfound scarcity of space led to difficult decisions.
As I crawled into my dad’s 5’ basement, which held all my childhood belongings, I began throwing everything away.
⚽️ Varsity Letters
🏫 Varsity Jacket
📜 High School Diploma
🌁 Pictures and letters
⚾️ Baseball Cards
🏆 Trophies and Awards…
nearly everything meaningful was tossed.
With tears running down my face, I kept repeating, “Experiences, not things…” as I walked to the dumpster in the driveway.
The cognitive dissonance between what I was doing and what I believed was real…
We are told that the American dream is to accumulate things.
Or that’s at least what capitalist marketing tells us. “You need more, and you need it now.” (And I’m a capitalist!)
But do you?
As my family and I traveled the country, my carry-on suitcase, bag in the rooftop carrier, and backpack embodied ~60% of my possessions. The balance remained in a small 9×13 storage unit in Jax.
I’ve never felt lighter and at ease.
As I watch the devastation in the Florida Gulf Coast and North Carolina, I’m reminded of the loss of material things.
I’ve learned that one space is limitless and can never be stolen, tossed away, or ruined by weather.
My experiences.
No one can steal my memories.
“Experiences, not things…”
Be mindful of what you’re chasing. It matters!
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