All the things
Funny how materialism can sneak into your life when you're not paying much attention. Not that I'm finding myself profoundly deep into a materialistic state right now, it just seems to manifest in different ways, some of them not intentional.
For instance, over the weekend I attended the Fire & Ice benefit, a fundraiser for Gateway Burners, with E'. An art auction is typically rolling, just one of the many mechanisms to get people to fund the group. Artists of all sorts in the Burner community contribute art to the auction. (I feel weird capitalizing "Burner." Maybe I'll take it the way of "internet," which used to be regularly capitalized.) Occasionally there's artwork that calls to me deeply, but sometimes not so much. This year a few things did, though not in a deeply meaningful way. It was more a "that's kinda' cool; take my money." In reality, I probably would have just donated the money, because the art things coming back my way weren't all that important to me. In fact, one of the bid-on items was a collection of bacon magnets. I didn't realize when I bid that it also included bacon-shaped hair barrettes. (Damn, I've never spelled that word before; that was a chore! I actually screwed it up over the weekend, calling them "berets.") I was giving them away on account of not having and hair to use them on.
Sure, there are more overt forms of materialism that show up for me from time to time. Costuming and craft supplies seems to accumulate as a side-effect of going to the occasional Burner event. The stuff I collect from going a few times a year... I can't imagine what some of the hardcore attendees have! Aside from that, I seem to accumulate books and car repair tools.
I think back to living in Spain for two years; I could fit almost everything I owned in those two years into two backpacks. It was a ridiculous but amazing experience with minimalism. It's not like I was making much money either. I was scraping by, with little in the way of spending money. OK, I had a little, but I wasn't paying for medical insurance or anything else like that. It was essentially food, shelter, teaching supplies, Metro pass, and phone credit. Alcohol, cheap books, and the occasional vacation were my luxury items.
Part of me misses that, but another part doesn't. Truthfully, when I returned to St. Louis in 2009, I lived without a car for four years, which was a total bitch. This town has nothing on Madrid's public transportation. I opted to get a car - and by extension, a lot of tools because it was a fixer-upper - primarily because of the isolation I was feeling, the lack of being in touch with people. (I worked from home, so leaving the house was for errands or socialization.) But given that some parties didn't start until 9 or 10 p.m., and that busses stopped running pretty much after midnight... yeah, I wasn't going to blow money on taxis all the time.
In reality, I suppose a car and tools aren't too much in the way of materialism; they're practical tools for remaining a productive person in St. Louis. And if I'm honest with myself, I probably have a lot less stuff than many in my friend groups. But I still find myself comparing my lifestyle to when I was in Spain, for better of for worse. Sure, I lived frugally, but in Madrid you leave the apartment and can walk a mile or less to get to anything you need. And Metro stops are stone throws away. You really don't need a car there, for the most part, particularly if you stay in the city proper.
Ah, that gets me into reminiscing territory... Spain. Hrm. I still know it wasn't the place for me long-term, but part of my heart is still there.
For instance, over the weekend I attended the Fire & Ice benefit, a fundraiser for Gateway Burners, with E'. An art auction is typically rolling, just one of the many mechanisms to get people to fund the group. Artists of all sorts in the Burner community contribute art to the auction. (I feel weird capitalizing "Burner." Maybe I'll take it the way of "internet," which used to be regularly capitalized.) Occasionally there's artwork that calls to me deeply, but sometimes not so much. This year a few things did, though not in a deeply meaningful way. It was more a "that's kinda' cool; take my money." In reality, I probably would have just donated the money, because the art things coming back my way weren't all that important to me. In fact, one of the bid-on items was a collection of bacon magnets. I didn't realize when I bid that it also included bacon-shaped hair barrettes. (Damn, I've never spelled that word before; that was a chore! I actually screwed it up over the weekend, calling them "berets.") I was giving them away on account of not having and hair to use them on.
Sure, there are more overt forms of materialism that show up for me from time to time. Costuming and craft supplies seems to accumulate as a side-effect of going to the occasional Burner event. The stuff I collect from going a few times a year... I can't imagine what some of the hardcore attendees have! Aside from that, I seem to accumulate books and car repair tools.
I think back to living in Spain for two years; I could fit almost everything I owned in those two years into two backpacks. It was a ridiculous but amazing experience with minimalism. It's not like I was making much money either. I was scraping by, with little in the way of spending money. OK, I had a little, but I wasn't paying for medical insurance or anything else like that. It was essentially food, shelter, teaching supplies, Metro pass, and phone credit. Alcohol, cheap books, and the occasional vacation were my luxury items.
Part of me misses that, but another part doesn't. Truthfully, when I returned to St. Louis in 2009, I lived without a car for four years, which was a total bitch. This town has nothing on Madrid's public transportation. I opted to get a car - and by extension, a lot of tools because it was a fixer-upper - primarily because of the isolation I was feeling, the lack of being in touch with people. (I worked from home, so leaving the house was for errands or socialization.) But given that some parties didn't start until 9 or 10 p.m., and that busses stopped running pretty much after midnight... yeah, I wasn't going to blow money on taxis all the time.
In reality, I suppose a car and tools aren't too much in the way of materialism; they're practical tools for remaining a productive person in St. Louis. And if I'm honest with myself, I probably have a lot less stuff than many in my friend groups. But I still find myself comparing my lifestyle to when I was in Spain, for better of for worse. Sure, I lived frugally, but in Madrid you leave the apartment and can walk a mile or less to get to anything you need. And Metro stops are stone throws away. You really don't need a car there, for the most part, particularly if you stay in the city proper.
Ah, that gets me into reminiscing territory... Spain. Hrm. I still know it wasn't the place for me long-term, but part of my heart is still there.