Somewhere on Staten Island, NY, post Sandy. ©DESIREE ARROYO

Every day, we go out and buy STUFF. It’s how we entertain ourselves— strolling the malls, poking around in clothing stores and home repair stores and home décor stores and grocery stores and book stores and craft stores and –well, I was going to say record stores, but that isn’t quite what they are anymore—and when push comes to shove, the dollar store or the corner market.

We shop. We acquire, we accumulate.

The stuff we own possesses us after a time.

We buy bigger houses with bonus rooms, or at least go rent a storage unit so we can keep all of our stuff. The stuff we buy attempts to announce our worth to the people who ring us out at the cash register, to the people who see us with it, and to the person we stare at in the mirror each morning while brushing our teeth.

We want MORE! Bigger, better, faster, cheaper. Stuff. THINGS.

I’ve written before about things. Actually for a while there I was writing about things, and getting rid of things ….but I digress. (because I have not succeeded; although I am more aware, I am not cured)

• Look around you.
• Take a look at that photo, above.
• How are you doing?
• Do you NEED anything more than the people you love surrounding you and laughter and memories made?

Remember, there are MANY who would be thrilled to have a home in which to have dinner this year.

Happy Thanksgiving.  (And here, a smallish little rant-y kind of blog about shopping on this weekend from a few years back. Add to it Thanksgiving DAY shopping and those in food service. Remember, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.  )