The worth of stuff

I commented to my wife that we have just too much stuff.  Of course she thought i meant like junk and clothes from eras gone by, but i was referring to all of the TVs stereos, speakers, dvds, laser disks, blu rays, hd dvds posters cards and yes Junk.  Ok so maybe it was more my stuff but i started thinking why i continue to collect these things. 

Yes they have their utility and are fun but in the end are they keeping me from real experiences?  I know am no different then the millions of others who live vicariously through the images be it from a movie, video game or those iconic reality TV shows of the day.  Why have we become this way?  Is it the true nature of Humans to be voyeurs and why do most look down upon those who actually live life to the fullest?  You know the ones who jump from the planes or live in a shack and travel the world just because?

I am a firm believe that fear guides almost all of what we do in one way or another.  Sometimes we rush into marriage because we are fearful of being alone, other times we are to petrified to make that first move and miss out on what could be a honest and loving relationship.  In the work place  we allow ourselves to work under the thumb of the corporate masters at the same time lambasting those who are tied to unions as they are somehow to blame for all the worlds ills.

We always are concerned about what others think and say about us when in reality what we do or say rarely comes up in conversation with those people.  they have their own fears and worries that are guiding their thoughts.  I recall of very good movie some years ago that dealt with this idea of fear and how it manifests itself in our lives.  The movie starred Albert Brooks and Merryl streep and was called defending your life and as you watch (if you chose to do so) see if there is something worth taking from the film and its assessment of  how fear dominates our lives.  I believe its an interesting take on the subject.



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