Need vs Want

This post is just some random babbling... some thoughts I'm having this morning, that I feel like writing down. Watch out... lots of capitalized words. I recommend avoiding this post.

I was reading my (free) Organic Style magazine this morning, and two articles got me to thinking. The first was on a couple that lived in a floating house complex in BC, grew all their own vegetables, and basically lived with very little STUFF. (Note: it wouldn't be practical for everyone to live like this... not enough room. Plus, I don't think that their dumping of sewage twice a year in deep water is environmentally sound.) The other was a cartoon where a couple decides they have too much STUFF, they haul it out to the dump (recycling a few things that can be recycled), realize (because of the size of the dump) that the world has too much STUFF, and then make themselves feel better by buying a whole bunch of organic STUFF on the way home. It may be organic, but it's still STUFF.

I sit here in my clutter, and think I have too much STUFF. The solution, however, is not sending that STUFF to the dump. The vast majority of my STUFF is usable STUFF, so I will use it until it has been used up. However, I think, when shopping, I will try to remember that there's a difference between WANT and NEED.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I should live a very austere, STUFFless life... there are emotional NEEDs too. I just have to consider whether or not something is NEEDed, or simply an impluse WANT.

For example, chocolate is an occasional NEED, but too frequent chocolate is a WANT, and is not good for me. Oh, it tastes good going down, but my tummy doesn't feel so happy when I have too much. Like last night, when I NEEDed to do the dishes in order to make dinner, but didn't WANT to do them... and thus snacked mostly on junk, and did the dishes when I was no longer hungry. I got fed, and although the STUFF tasted good, I didn't have that "good feeling" that a proper dinner gives me. Had I suffered with my hunger while washing dishes, I would have been happier in the end.

Another WANT vs NEED is decorative items... I NEED some in order to make my place feel like home, but if I give into my WANT too often, the extra items constitute clutter, which detracts from my happiness. When I see an item I WANT, I should first consider how it will fit in with my environment, and whether it will add or detract. For example, at Apple Chill I bought this really neat wire dragon sculpture, made by a local kid, for a very economical $2. Was it a good buy? Yes. Was it a WANT? Yes. Was it a NEED? No. Although this sculpture (about 4" tall) is really neat, I don't have a good way to display it to take advantage of it, and so it ends up looking more like clutter. Should I have bought this little fellow? Probably not. Did I realize this at the time? Yeah, but I pushed that thought down... after all, it was such a good deal, and soooo cute. That $2 didn't make a big difference to my budget, but it's now affecting my emotional well being.

The embroidered pillow cases from India that I bought at a previous street festival, however, fulfill a NEED... they hang decoratively on the wall of my office, and make me feel better.

I will not toss the little wire dragon... he doesn't deserve that, but I do need to figure out how best to display him. And, I also NEED to listen to my inner voice next time. And not the one that says if I don't get it, I'll regret it because I'll have missed my chance. I missed my chance at buying the lovely oil pastel painting at Apple Chill, but that's because my budget couldn't afford it, and I don't actually have any free wall space left any more. Although that WANT could have fulfilled a NEED, it was not a practical one at this time.

I think this weekend I will spend some time tidying my flat surfaces... it's a NEED that I've been avoiding due to WANT (I don't WANT to clean), but I think I will be happier in the end. I may not finish, but a little time spent won't kill me, and will likely make me feel better in the end. And, to reward myself, I'll treat myself to some healty yummies from Whole Foods. (Which means I should hurry up and shower so that I can catch the bus over while it's still running.)