100% Completely Portable
Most people I know are constantly in the process of acquiring. New cell phones, cars, girlfriends, houses, shoes, bigger TVs, faster computers, better this, bigger that. I'm not sure why they want what they want. Status? Comfort? Just because? I'm not one of these people, so I don't think I'll ever understand. As for me, I don't want anything. Not really. A master's degree would be cool. A one-way ticket to Europe would also be pretty cool, but that's about it. I'm just not into stuff. I used to say I wanted to be able to fit everything I owned in the back of my Xterra. Not any more. I want to be able to fit everything I own in a backpack or at the very least a decent piece of rolling luggage. Ultimately, I want to be portable. 100% completely portable.
The way I see it, the world is way too hung up on possessions. I guess I should be thankful that people want more and better and bigger given that I work retail. My livelihood depends upon it. If people weren't buying new riding lawn mowers, upgrading their dishwashers, or re-painting their kitchens, I'd be out of a job. And truly consumption is the only thing that makes the U.S. economy move these days. A friend told me recently that we've become a 'Brunch Society'. Why brunch? Well, what do you do at brunch? I don't know about anyone else, but I consume at brunch. And usually far more than I should.
So, here we are, as a people, having brunch, not once a week on Sunday after church or to cure a hangover, but every day. Every damn day. We buy and buy and buy, consume and consume and consume. I don't have a clue where all the money comes from. I think we probably need to thank Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express for keeping America afloat. Without credit, I truly believe our country would shrivel up and die. You can't tell me that people can honestly afford all this crap they're buying. There's no way. I know what I live on and what I spend and I can't see it. I can't. They all have two incomes and I only have one? Yeah, I'll have to call bullshit on that one. Most people don't own half of what they buy. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express do. I promise you.
I'm currently debt-free, a fact I always hesitate to put out there to the Universe. Last year I did and ended up needing a new transmission and radiator for the Xterra. Why didn't I just trade it in for something new instead of spending a fortune on replacement parts? Because I didn't want something new. I've had that SUV longer than I've ever dated anyone. You don't just throw a relationship like that away and get something new. Well, I don't. And now, less than a year later that monster charge on my Visa is paid off. What do I buy when I'm 'splurging' and running up my credit card? Yep, boring stuff to keep my car running.
I know I'm boring. I am. I'm different and I'm boring. But I know this - When the shit hits the fan or opportunity arrives, I'll be able to hit the road with my backpack and be happy. I won't need this and this and this and this. In fact, I won't need much at all. Obviously.
What will I need? Great question. Ok, a backpack or the aforementioned decent piece of rolling luggage. Honestly, I'd prefer the backpack, but I'm not going to be picky. After I have that, let's see...
At the very least I'm getting ready to do that. I wear the same clothes over and over and seldom buy anything new until something wears out or breaks. Small case in point, I haven't changed my earrings in over a decade. Need more evidence? The shorts I'm wearing I got from a girlfriend. In the late 90s. I don't have much but what I do have I've probably had awhile. I'm just not into turnover for the sake of turnover. Ultimately, I want to be able to live with less. Living with more is completely unacceptable.
I guess I'm the antithesis of 'Brunch'. I'm a total non-consumer (unless I'm at a real brunch buffet). Thank goodness the U.S. economy isn't counting on me. If that was the case, we'd be on a slow train to nowhere. And speaking of slow trains, I'd really like to be on one. On my way to nowhere and carrying only my backpack. 100% completely portable. How's that for a goal?
The way I see it, the world is way too hung up on possessions. I guess I should be thankful that people want more and better and bigger given that I work retail. My livelihood depends upon it. If people weren't buying new riding lawn mowers, upgrading their dishwashers, or re-painting their kitchens, I'd be out of a job. And truly consumption is the only thing that makes the U.S. economy move these days. A friend told me recently that we've become a 'Brunch Society'. Why brunch? Well, what do you do at brunch? I don't know about anyone else, but I consume at brunch. And usually far more than I should.
So, here we are, as a people, having brunch, not once a week on Sunday after church or to cure a hangover, but every day. Every damn day. We buy and buy and buy, consume and consume and consume. I don't have a clue where all the money comes from. I think we probably need to thank Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express for keeping America afloat. Without credit, I truly believe our country would shrivel up and die. You can't tell me that people can honestly afford all this crap they're buying. There's no way. I know what I live on and what I spend and I can't see it. I can't. They all have two incomes and I only have one? Yeah, I'll have to call bullshit on that one. Most people don't own half of what they buy. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express do. I promise you.
I'm currently debt-free, a fact I always hesitate to put out there to the Universe. Last year I did and ended up needing a new transmission and radiator for the Xterra. Why didn't I just trade it in for something new instead of spending a fortune on replacement parts? Because I didn't want something new. I've had that SUV longer than I've ever dated anyone. You don't just throw a relationship like that away and get something new. Well, I don't. And now, less than a year later that monster charge on my Visa is paid off. What do I buy when I'm 'splurging' and running up my credit card? Yep, boring stuff to keep my car running.
I know I'm boring. I am. I'm different and I'm boring. But I know this - When the shit hits the fan or opportunity arrives, I'll be able to hit the road with my backpack and be happy. I won't need this and this and this and this. In fact, I won't need much at all. Obviously.
What will I need? Great question. Ok, a backpack or the aforementioned decent piece of rolling luggage. Honestly, I'd prefer the backpack, but I'm not going to be picky. After I have that, let's see...
- Three pairs of shoes - running, tennis, standard walking
- 2 pairs of jeans
- 2 pairs of shorts - one for running, one for standard wear
- 1 tennis skirt
- 3 shirts - one for running, one for tennis, and one for standard wear
- 1 long sleeve shirt
- 1 sweater or sweatshirt
- Unmentionables for 5 days
- 2 baseball caps - one for running, one for tennis
- 1 towel
- A laptop or tablet
- Cell phone and charger
- MP3 player and charger and headphones
- Journal
- 1 book, whichever one I'm reading at the time
- 1 tennis racket
- Toiletry bag
At the very least I'm getting ready to do that. I wear the same clothes over and over and seldom buy anything new until something wears out or breaks. Small case in point, I haven't changed my earrings in over a decade. Need more evidence? The shorts I'm wearing I got from a girlfriend. In the late 90s. I don't have much but what I do have I've probably had awhile. I'm just not into turnover for the sake of turnover. Ultimately, I want to be able to live with less. Living with more is completely unacceptable.
I guess I'm the antithesis of 'Brunch'. I'm a total non-consumer (unless I'm at a real brunch buffet). Thank goodness the U.S. economy isn't counting on me. If that was the case, we'd be on a slow train to nowhere. And speaking of slow trains, I'd really like to be on one. On my way to nowhere and carrying only my backpack. 100% completely portable. How's that for a goal?
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