To me, this shirt and this song are what it’s all about (sorry to inform you, The Hokey-Pokey is not what it’s all about). This song (see lyrics below) makes me think of the earth as one big house. One house, with a huge family living in it. What would a visitor (alien, deity?) to earth think about this “house” and “family”? Most likely (I’m just guessing), they would think we weren’t taking very good care of each other or the house. They would wonder how people in the same family could hate each other so much, and why those with so much weren’t willing to share with others in that family.
I have the blessing of knowing what it is to be part of a loving family. This blessing has shown me time and again that when it comes down to it, the only thing that really matters in life is the people you have in yours. Today, I started making shipping labels for packages that will be sending most of my Star Wars collection (I’m a “pretty big” fan) to people who won them on Ebay. I have decided to get rid of just about everything I own to prove my point. These “things” do not make me happy. The Star Wars drawings from my nephew and niece (not put on Ebay, but I made a shirt from them: http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/01/t-shirt-14-star-wars-kids-drawings.html ) are much more valuable to me than a Jabba the Hutt figure from 1983.
I think one of the biggest problems in this world is greed. There is more than enough of everything to go around, but the people with the most aren’t always willing to share. I am not rich by any means, and live from paycheck to paycheck. But, I have collected quite a bit of “stuff” over the years. Compared to most in the world, I have TONS of stuff. I have Star Wars stuff, a ridiculous t-shirt collection (see blog), DVDs, CDs, games, Coke stuff, old toys, sports stuff, stuff that has been in storage bins and moved from place to place, books, signs, newspapers from when teams I root for won championships, hockey jerseys, VHS tapes, cassette tapes (mostly 80s metal, in case you were wondering), and more and more stuff.
Since I have all of this stuff I don’t really need, I have decided to get rid of just about all of it. I see it as hypocritical of me to hate the rich and greedy, but keep all of this unneeded stuff. And I know there is a way I can get rid of just about all of it (I think I will have to keep some clothes, all my pictures, my guitar, my computer, some decorations, and a few things I can’t quite part with just yet (like my grandfather’s dog tags from World War II), and turn it into something good. For the moment, I have decided the money I get from things I put on Ebay (like my Star Wars stuff) will go to Hope Lodge in Worcester (http://www.cancer.org/docroot/subsite/hopelodge/MA_Worcester/wr_index.asp) I am a cancer survivor, and this place means a lot more to me than my “stuff”.
A lot of people (close friends included) have told me they don’t understand why I am doing this. I tell them you get rid of all of your stuff eventually anyway. This way, I can do some good with it and enjoy giving it away (Oh yeah, some of my things I have just given to people I know that will enjoy it). Also by doing this, I get to figure out what “things” really matter to me. I know the dog tags will stay and I know the Westboro Road sign my friend Andy got me while I had cancer will be around for a while. I think that’s why I started with the Star Wars things first, most of the stuff after them will be easy…
I hope you will follow me on this journey of minimalism and…Imagine…
Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
hey dave,
ReplyDeletei totally feel you, after treatment i decided to visit family i have not seen in over 16 yrs family is forever...i live simply and have a new outlook on whats truely important ...imagine all the people living life in peace, i cant believe i have missed family soo much,my (real) mom i recently spent a week with and i got my baby pics which mean more than gold
melanie :)
Thanks Melanie, Glad you enjoyed reading :)
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