As Lester Burnem famously sneers to his wife in American Beauty “They’re only things”
If this is indeed the case why do we spend a lifetime trying to collect useless items. Its as if the world is an Ikea outlet overflowing with functional but useless goods and we its consumers are like a million sand specked ants in mortal combat hand to hand. She (or he) with the most toys at the end wins….but unfortunately she with the most toys still dies and death is rarely cushioned by fancy frocks, 70inch TVs and that Audi TT.

All material goods share one trait and unsurprisingly it is that the more you get, the more you want and the more you get the less satisfaction. In economics it is called the law of diminishing marginal utility. In the real world we call it fucked. Material goods offer no cure for cancer, loneliness or depression and in fact money can serve as an arch enemy to finding true love or building friendships that survive unfair weather.

The only thing really worth accumulating are blissful intangible moments that life throws up to those who know what it’s really about….Sunday dinners with the family, teaching the young nephew to shoot baskets, the pet cat that snuggles you in bed, a gelare waffle with cookie dough ice cream, sunsets at City Beach and finding someone who understands and “completes” you (Thanks Jerry Maguire)…incidentally all of these immaterial goods come completely free of charge (except the waffles but they are totally worth it) and their value never diminishes.

A great writer Mark Twain or maybe the lesser one Robert J Barrett once said “The best things in life aren’t things” and as I simplify my life down to bare essentials a true conception of what IS important helps me define WHO I really am