Wednesday, June 23

Immortal Possessions

Ah, the conundrum of mortality … it would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic. Then again, the horror of physical decrepitude may be far worse than death itself. So, what will it be? The fear of death? Or, the fear of decrepitude?

Nearly every worldly possession (all still packed in two large gym bags) are still sitting in the same corner in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki. There’s a photograph somewhere in Notes, by the way. Some of the possessions are still new. For example, there are clothes that have never been worn. Fortunately, only subsistence quantities are maintained. Pretty much everything else is procured “just in time” (JIT).

Mostly all possessions, except consumables, are in service for extended periods of time. A search through Notes reveals that some acquisitions pre-date the latter. Take the Vans® shoes (the only pair of shoes in possession), for example. Those shoes have been deployed for over four years.

The point of the aforementioned diatribe is that the useful life of many personal possessions may, at this point in time, approach the equivalent of the remainder of personal lifespan (or a sizable fraction thereof). Hence, only two more pairs of shoes will be needed before death. A pair of shorts or a windbreaker may outlast its owner.

Knowing all that information is certainly not going to change much. There isn’t going to be any kind of buying spree. Is the denial of death at work here?

Addendum: The only tank top that is being deployed for gym workouts dates back to the days of the townhouse in Kane’ohe. That’s over 15 years ago! Oh, the miracle of synthetic fabrics!

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