Your Stuff

     You could buy your kid every toy in the world and they'd wind up sitting stored in a closet or under the bed and hardly ever played with. When your kid goes to a friends house and they have the same toy it's like a prize. They'll play with it all day and fight with their best friend over it too. It's always better when it's someone elses. It's ten times better when other people are interested in it too. Then everyone wants it. If it's something your kid doesn't have and because they loved it so much you eventually get it for them it will never be as good as the one at their friends house. Never. I think most moms know this.
     No one grows out of this. Why do you think we have such a saying as "keeping up with the jones'?" You always want what you have not got no matter how old you are. Or at the very least you want to check out and play with what you haven't got. We all get sick of our own stuff. That's why America is such a great land of consumers, and full of garbage. Everything gets tossed and replaced over and over again. Usually with something supposedly better, usually shinier and newer too. Of course that isn't always the way, yet we keep doing it. Its ingrained in us.
     I'm a nosy son of a gun. I've got no problem admitting it. I like being invited into your home to check out what you've got. I do not care how clean your place is. Sure I may notice those cobwebs up in the corner of your family room, but they're quickly forgotten as I scan the rest of the place. I know I am not alone in this or shows like Hoarders and Storage Wars wouldn't do so well. What kind of neat stuff do you have hanging around your place? We've all got something. And different people will be interested in different things. What's that hanging on your wall over there a piece of fine art or something one of your kids made? Sometimes its tough to tell.
     I was really surprised when at my Dads last week he put on Storage Wars and seemed to like it as much as I did. He then introduced me to another show called American Pickers on the History channel. His favorite channel that I never turn on. It was great. These guys drive around America picking through all those crazy peoples houses. You know the ones, piled high with what looks to be garbage mostly. They certainly find some neat stuff. Very entertaining. Especially if you like seeing other peoples stuff. It's amazing what people keep and save. Go take a crawl through your attic or crawlspace, what have you squirreled away? Anything that great? What would other people think about it? Why the heck did you even save it?
     Next enter your home like a stranger, what stands out to you? Anything fun and interesting? Plain blah walls with flower prints? Bright colors? Pictures of your kids? From your wedding? What can I learn about you from those pictures? What would you think? I've talked about my decorating scheme. I think my house is fun. How would you describe yours? What might your friends say about it when you're not around? I'm sure plenty of people think I'm a little nutty with all my Garfields. I certainly got that vibe off Andrews girlfriends mom when she came to pick her up. Oops. But it's me and I'm certainly not trying to hide who I am or what I like? Are you? Is your stuff?