A Few of my Favorite Things

Edwin and I don't put much value in stuff. To be completely accurate, Edwin is anti-stuff. He is most infamous for throwing away all but four forks, four knives, and four spoons of the communal flatware while his roommates were in class. He's the kind who can get away with such actions.

I like things. They're nice to have around. I get especially giddy when in Pier 1 or Pottery Barn, though I can never quite reconcile the cost with the object.

I do own a few things that have special value to me. The first that comes to mind is the camera that Edwin got me for my birthday. It required sacrifice on his part, and that's what makes it so wonderful. I love the camera. I enjoy taking pictures with it, though I show very little special talent in it so far. I'm still working at it, and have great ambition to one day win a Pulitzer with its use.

The next is a little less sentimental. I first saw a pair of Brighton sunglasses when I was sixteen. I love Brighton. I'm not sure why, exactly, but I do. This Christmas I decided to take some of my gift money and buy a pair. The first few weeks after their purchase were cloudy, of course, but since then they have not been far from my head. They work well at keeping the sun out of my eyes, but I'm pretty sure that I like them for purely impractical reasons.

The final of my favorite material possessions, currently, is a stroller. It's the Hummer of strollers, except that it is a much better value and a more responsible use of plastic and metal in our current economy. The seats can both face in, both face out, or both face front. It has a car seat adapter so that I just click little Ella in. Bill and Cindy, Edwin's dad and step-mom, generously gave it to us with Ella. I registered for it, mostly just so I could remember which one I wanted. A couple of weeks after receiving it, someone made a comment about her double stroller, and how she'd only used it once since her second child was born. I got a little worried that I wouldn't use it enough to get the value out of it, but that has not been an issue. I use that darn thing four times a week, at least. It's one of those things that I find an excuse to use simply because it is so much fun, and I want to see how many different ways you can arrange the seats. I due much of my weight loss to its use.

Stuff is good as long as you control it, and it doesn't control you. The problem is recognizing when your stuff controls you. I seriously doubt that Edwin will allow me to be too overcome by any physical possession, no matter how tempted I am to allow it. If he fears that there is something leading me down the path of materialism, he'll probably just throw it away while I'm at the grocery store.