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A Quick Story About Stuff

Living in a studio apartment for over a decade, then moving into a home that wasn't mine, followed by my current locale, a motel room, has lead me on a search for a new home. But, what do I "need?" What we want is at the forefront of our everyday lives and an entire capitalistic industry has fed of our desires, but it ignores what we need.

I won't bore you with the mathematics, but have you ever thought about hotels? I'm not talking about the Waldorf Astoria or the ones you see in Dubai. I'm talking your standard hotel room. Maybe even your standard motel room. You're paying somewhere in the vicinity of $100 for what you need. In actuality, you're getting more than what you need and you're paying much more than you should, but most of the money is going towards convenience. As I look at "my" room, I have everything, but a stove. I have two beds, I need one. I have three chairs, I need two, should I decide to entertain a guest. I have a nightstand, a dresser, a TV, a desk, a lamp a coffee pit, a microwave, a mini fridge, closet space, a phone, a laptop, two windows, a bathroom and a lock on my door.

Why did I list the last item? Security, despite being taken for granted, is one of our most important needs. Despite this "home" not being my own, it's my space and it's protected. As for the items. I have everything I need to survive and more. I have a place to sleep, to eat, to bathe. I have a place to store the things I truly need. I can keep my food  fresh and I can cook. I was offered a hotplate by a housekeeper, but I declined, because of my cat. Oh did I mention that my cat is with me. Don't underestimate the importance of a pet. Especially for those of you who are single.

So each morning, I wake up, have my coffee and breakfast. Each afternoon, I plug away on my laptop, searching for a permanent home and each evening, I either watch TV or, more likely, watch a movie online. The real splurge items come in the form of Netflix, Hulu and social media apps, most of which are free. My phone bill is my essential connection to the outside, but if I went by the number of people I actually speak with, I could probably get rid of that too.

In the next year, I'll be living in a new home. A place to call my own. A place where I'll sleep, eat, bathe and entertain, myself, my cat and hopefully someone else who shares in my thought process. What I need to live out the last days of my life is stuff you can't buy, can't see. It's stuff that is essential to your existence. Stuff that allows you to be part of the materialistic world, without entering it. The real stuff I crave, can't be seen or felt, at least not with one's hands.

Last night, despite all my woes, I sat and chatted with a friend about silly things. I laughed. I drank coffee. I stroked my cat's neck and he purred to let me know he was content. I purred back, because I was too..

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