Heritage

My possessions arrived by ABF truck last Friday. During the past year, I had been without them. I had filled a storage unit, leaving me with a car, laptop computer, cell phone and suitcase of clothes. This was more than I needed to visit the hostels of California.

Then, I dropped off my car at Aunt Mary’s house and visited Asia, where the laptop and cell phone were stolen. Possessions can actually get in your way on a trip, so I didn’t immediately replace the items.

In the United States, I picked up my car, visited my storage unit to cycle in more clothes, and bought a Treo cell phone (with internet access). I drove to Minnesota and the East Coast with these items. Anything else I needed seemed to be at Walmart.

Now, more than a year after filling the storage unit, I again have the 10’ x 15’ x 8’ of possessions.

A lot of items, I have no use for. These go straight to trash or the free market. Most of my possessions are still in boxes, cluttering up the house. Possessions are really over-rated. You hardly need them at all!

The birdbath from Aunt Ellen is in the backyard. Robins are already using it. The dishes from Grandma Rasmussen and Grandma Focht are in the maple hutch. Aunt Marion’s nightstand is by the bed. I have a box of cassette tapes of my KALX programs that I play in my car, and another two boxes of writing. Grandma Focht’s couch faces the TV that John gave me in the lower level of Monica’s house, where we just carpeted. Donna and I play the game of Scrabble that Ellie gave me.

Possessions are heritage.