Thanks to Annie Leonard’s book, “The Story of Stuff”, based on her video of the same name, I have been consciously building my relationship with stuff. You know how having stuff is important to so many of us, and how we can easily get sucked in, without even knowing it, into a culture of overconsumption? Well let me tell you something: having limited access to new stuff changes your relationship to the stuff you already own. However, this change can be either positive or negative, depending on how you take it.

For example, I have been taking care of my stuff really, really well. It has to last a long time, and I am doing everything I can to ensure that it does. This is definitely increasing my appreciation for said stuff, but if I go overboard, I could easily become obsessive and controlling of my stuff, as well as over protective. That doesn’t bode well for the whole sharing thing, does it? By the same token, I also have to be extremely careful not to become attached to my stuff, so that when they do, inevitably, become unusable, I won’t slip into depression and rebound by spending countless hours and copious amounts of money on eBay.

I also have been appreciating the systems that ensure that, back home, I have such an ease of access to new stuff. Of course, the main question here is that I don’t jump straight back into its arms when I return, but moderately take advantage of it only to the extent that I actually need it.

As clearly demonstrated, I am not even close to have an eureka moment when it comes to my relationship with stuff in light of creating a sustainable and equitable world. But I do hope that this continuous reflection will help me along to getting there.