Tyler, I think so many of us feel as you do. I shop very intentionally and it does take some effort. But, there are resources, like stopwaste.org, that can help us all learn to shop mindfully. Once you find companies that create with sustainability in mind, brand loyalty makes shopping easier. I’ve always been into quality over quantity, but it takes a little research. And there’s nothing better than living with only what you love and need that’s well made!
Tyler, thank you for bringing your observations into the spotlight, these topics are so relevant and important to discuss.
When I first arrived in the US, I was shocked by the mass consumerism and excess because I grew up in a society where you bought most things for life (and by no means was that intentional in socialism, rather supply was scarce). I remember a newfound friend visiting me in those early years, making fun of my “spartan” living quarters and shaming me into wanting unnecessary crap. Unfortunately the greed to own things has become its own worldwide pandemic since then, and what can we expect when shopping is an acceptable hobby today?
For my own part, I have become aware and mindful about purchases in recent years, and have been purging. We can sound the alarm all we want, but living by example is the best way forward, but unteaching the younger generations is essential. Stepping outdoors, engaging in activities that do not involve electronics, recycling, composting, buying local when possible, making the “need vs want” argument with each purchase … anything is a step in the right direction.
Or get people into gardening! The more plants and flowers, the better! I’ll never lose interest in bringing around more oxygen and pollinators. 💚
Timely; just today I completed assisting an 84 yr. old gentleman with moving from his home. He's not a hoarder, but not too far off. As I was filling my vehicle with the last boxes to go into storage, he was aimlessly filling more boxes with "stuff". He admitted he was having trouble letting-go. Four storage units-filled later, he stopped - only because he had to catch the train that would take him to his other home, which had been his mother's in Seattle, that most likely was just as filled as this just-sold one was. He also has a farmstead that he never gets to that is filled with stuff, and he now talks about building a "humble" home up in Port Townsend, WA as it's been a lifelong dream. As we parted I was deeply saddened that this was his life. He'll return for a few months every year, but only to sit among his 'things' in storage and remember. He has no home here to put his things in any longer. I was at a loss for words for him, nothing could change now. With that he grabbed a cup of pencils and headed to the train station. Possessions can easily consume us if we don't pay attention.
This is so exactly on the mark. I think we slip silently from "keeping" to "hoarding" without even noticing it's happening. Maybe not on the scale that'd make a TV special, but in our own smaller ways. This is scary and so important as an observation. Thanks!
I've been traveling a similar path of simplification and reducing. It's very liberating. Also, among the boxes of "stuff" I've sorted, I've found a few things that are truly valuable to me and that had, sadly, been forgotten in the "pile".
Tyler, I think so many of us feel as you do. I shop very intentionally and it does take some effort. But, there are resources, like stopwaste.org, that can help us all learn to shop mindfully. Once you find companies that create with sustainability in mind, brand loyalty makes shopping easier. I’ve always been into quality over quantity, but it takes a little research. And there’s nothing better than living with only what you love and need that’s well made!
Ahh what a brilliant resource! Thank you!
Tyler, thank you for bringing your observations into the spotlight, these topics are so relevant and important to discuss.
When I first arrived in the US, I was shocked by the mass consumerism and excess because I grew up in a society where you bought most things for life (and by no means was that intentional in socialism, rather supply was scarce). I remember a newfound friend visiting me in those early years, making fun of my “spartan” living quarters and shaming me into wanting unnecessary crap. Unfortunately the greed to own things has become its own worldwide pandemic since then, and what can we expect when shopping is an acceptable hobby today?
For my own part, I have become aware and mindful about purchases in recent years, and have been purging. We can sound the alarm all we want, but living by example is the best way forward, but unteaching the younger generations is essential. Stepping outdoors, engaging in activities that do not involve electronics, recycling, composting, buying local when possible, making the “need vs want” argument with each purchase … anything is a step in the right direction.
Or get people into gardening! The more plants and flowers, the better! I’ll never lose interest in bringing around more oxygen and pollinators. 💚
Timely; just today I completed assisting an 84 yr. old gentleman with moving from his home. He's not a hoarder, but not too far off. As I was filling my vehicle with the last boxes to go into storage, he was aimlessly filling more boxes with "stuff". He admitted he was having trouble letting-go. Four storage units-filled later, he stopped - only because he had to catch the train that would take him to his other home, which had been his mother's in Seattle, that most likely was just as filled as this just-sold one was. He also has a farmstead that he never gets to that is filled with stuff, and he now talks about building a "humble" home up in Port Townsend, WA as it's been a lifelong dream. As we parted I was deeply saddened that this was his life. He'll return for a few months every year, but only to sit among his 'things' in storage and remember. He has no home here to put his things in any longer. I was at a loss for words for him, nothing could change now. With that he grabbed a cup of pencils and headed to the train station. Possessions can easily consume us if we don't pay attention.
This is so exactly on the mark. I think we slip silently from "keeping" to "hoarding" without even noticing it's happening. Maybe not on the scale that'd make a TV special, but in our own smaller ways. This is scary and so important as an observation. Thanks!
I've been traveling a similar path of simplification and reducing. It's very liberating. Also, among the boxes of "stuff" I've sorted, I've found a few things that are truly valuable to me and that had, sadly, been forgotten in the "pile".