Purchase Addiction

I have an addiction. I’ve been noticing it more and more lately. It’s not facebook at the moment. I think I’ve got that one under control. It’s consumerism. I feel the need to buy things in order to feel a little more fulfilled. I have a list of items(gear,equipment,etc) that if I can get I won’t need anything else. Right? The problem is that once an item is removed from that list another item is added.

One of the many perks of knowing I’ll be back living in the van, is that I have very little room to put things. I can’t stand clutter, although from the looks of my room you would probably disagree. The point is, I have to think hard about big purchases, gear, and things of that nature simply because I won’t have the room.

Perhaps that’s what made me notice this problem. It’s subtle. Some days I just feel as though I’m just existing. We all have those. We just call it boredom. Where time is just slowly ticking. So to resolve this I would go get something new. Something small. A book, a movie, something that would drown out the feeling of just existing.

We are constantly be sold things. Maybe it’s not a product. Maybe it’s an idea, a lifestyle, or a better job. Our eyes are blasted with ads from all over. They are geared to hit us in a way that creates a need. I need that *product* it will give me the edge. Or whatever. I don’t have a problem with this as it’s part of my job but it’s something to be aware of.

I will be living in Anchorage for just a few more days. Gosh, time goes fast. Anchorage, is a big city especially by Alaska standards. You can buy pretty much anything you want here. That ability, that convenience, feeds the addiction. I imagine what it would be like living in a town like Hope. It’s about 2hrs away from the nearest Walmart. It doesn’t even have a real grocery store. It has a general store. They’ll have what you need, but not much more. Just enough.

I wonder what it would be like to live there. To live in a town so far away. Would I feel disconnected or reconnected? How will I entertain myself when I’m bored? When I just want to fill the space of empty time? I’d really like to know.

There is this idea that “Less is More”…I can’t help but believe there is some truth there.