The younger
generation—Millennials, Gen X, or whatever they are currently calling themselves—may
have it right. They rent homes instead of buying them, move around the world as
needed for their work, travel widely as students and volunteer workers. They concentrate
more on having experiences than on buying possessions, and so they avoid accumulating
a lot of heavy furniture and other stuff.
Most of us
older people did just the opposite. We bought homes at the first opportunity,
happily inherited things from our parents, maxed out credit cards to buy cars
and electronics that sometimes lasted only a few years. As a result, at some
post-retirement point we are likely to find ourselves burdened with too many belongings, such as large homes
that no longer suit our needs. They are hard to clean (or expensive to have
cleaned by someone else), have too many steps, require too much outdoor work,
and so on. Instead of enjoying retirement, we may spend our days simply taking
care of our possessions. This is hardly “the
last of life, for which the first is made”[i]!
Several years
ago I downsized from a large home that had an in-law apartment. I loved the
house, but couldn’t manage it physically or financially after being widowed. It
took a couple of years (when I could have been traveling or otherwise enjoying
myself), holding several sales, and becoming an eBay seller, but I finally got
rid of a thousand books, my late husband’s various collections, much heavy
furniture, and much more. What a relief! My current home is tiny, but has the
basic paraphernalia I need, along with some pictures and other things I am saving
for sentimental reasons. I am no longer owned by goods. I must confess, though,
that I still have a lot of books. There are limits.
When we travel
in the RV, life is even simpler, because everything on board must be a much-needed
item. Occasionally I miss some of the comforts of home, such as the bathtub. I don’t miss having to clean the tub.
One group of Rvers,
the Escapees (SKPs), is composed largely of middle-aged and older members who have
gotten away from being held in thrall by their belongings. Many are full-timers
who live in their RVs much or all of the time. (I suspect most of them have
some things stored in their children’s garages or in storage sheds, though.) The
Escapees can be nearly free within our consumer-oriented society.
Copyright 2016 by Carol Leth Stone
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