Things

Things. Such a short word, and yet it causes so much trouble.

I have been told that every family has its drama; I have never heard of (or experienced) disharmonious family matters which did not, at the end of the day, have something to do with things. Things someone at a time worked hard for and got hold of and which somebody else now wants. For free.

When I was really young I was told by a very wise, old man, that when I grew up I should not collect or hoard things just to show off how much stuff I could gather. I should focus on owning things that meant something to me. Things I needed. Things which for some reason I felt would stand out. It is not the number of things which will show your wealth or fortune: It is their significance.

Because, you see: things bring worries. Houses i.e. must be looked after: maintenance, cleaning, upgrading… it all adds time consuming effort of thinking through, problem solving, choices on colors, shapes, quality,  prices…

I have to admit I really enjoy the esthetic beauty most things display, I admire the innovating processes and the craftsmanship behind the thing, and I understand why it is such a joy to possess a chosen item. But… I am good at not wanting a lot of displayed stuff around me and in the house. (Mainly because dusting is NOT my favourite activity, to put it mildly.)

To be dead honest: I am not a good housewife. I do not dust every week, my plants are half withered before I remember to water them, I never check if there is oil or flushing medium on the car; A car just works: I insert and turn the key and off I go, and if it does not work: someone else is always nearby and he or she (for some strange reason usually he) knows how to fix it. Everything which must be done to the car I leave to others to do.

Not having a lot of stuff makes it easier to clean the house and when I die there will not be a lot to fight over.

Still, In my house we have a couple of types of things which are… suppose I should be honest enough to say they are out of hand. I do not have storage rooms, you see. I had this idea that what I do not use I do not want to keep… except a few folders with my kids’ drawings, things they create and make from toiletpaperrolls at school, folders with recipes on food I will never cook and clothes I will never knit or sew. We have a stationary computer, a Mac and four laptops, in addition to x-box and three tv's and like 478 dvd's and then a few games...

It seems like as if we have an endless amount of toys. All kinds of toys and a lot of it. They seem to float all over the place: lego in the sofa, footballs in the kitchen, table tennis bats  in the bathroom, action figures on the hallway floor. I hesitate to do much else than to pick it up and bring it back to where it is supposed to be placed and sorted into boxes, along with same kinds of toys. (I have a lot of really clever storage bins, but for some strange reason I fill them up constantly, and they are always nearly empty.)

Cars, lego, pokemon figures, miniature animals, musical toy instruments, costumes… everything has its own box (-es). It is funny how I think my kids watch way too much TV, and yet they play with something… or at least bring toys with them, at all times.

I do not really collect, but I have a lot of hobby articles. Fabrics, jarn, buttons, zippers, pearls, stones, glue with and without glitter, all kinds of paint, canvas, drawing paper, wires, string, all kinds of pencils, felt pens… you name it: I got it. I always plan to get to use it all, you see, and then I never get the time and next time I see a stamp I picture being used on a really great looking personal greeting card I buy it and add it to the continuously growing stack of bits and pieces just laying around looking like junk. I am not proud of it as yet, but one day it will miraculously turn into dazzling arts and crafts. Maybe. It will, perhaps.

Now, that I am thinking about it, I have way too much of a lot of stuff. Not items tastefully displayed to decorate the rooms, but just stuff. In addition to toys and hobby articles I have clothes (and a wardrobe much too small), shoes, laundry, stacks of books and more than just one big box of things I at one time knew what was… like hardware accessories belonging to something I got rid of 8 years ago, but in case I didn’t get rid of it anyway; I keep it… still don’t know what it is for, just keeping it in case I need it…

No, I do not hoard or collect or buy a lot of stuff. What I have is not really clutter even it looks like it. I just... you know: have it.

The real champions of the first prize

This weekend I left the TV on, so I could watch some sports in between everything else which I was doing.

I didn’t really do a lot, though. I was supposed to work, but as I opened the files to do some reviewing and grading it all just felt overwhelming and I postponed it. I sat there for a couple of hours clicking back and forth between files and just wasted a lot of time. Getting more coffee took quite a long time as I dwelled at every piece of distraction I passed by. Pictures I have seen every day for 40 years and such…

Work is still not done, and I know I have to do it real soon, but I am working on a plan which will make it more bearable. I just need to set deadlines and what to do when. Baby steps; but slowly getting there (I keep giving my students new tasks, but that is something I just have to calculate with. Read: ignore for now.)

Anyway, I was “watching” sports. Every time the commentator got excited I ran to the TV to see what was going on. It was cross country skiing and biathlon, sports the Norwegians are usually pretty good at, and there were quite a few exiting moments… and a few medals won. By the Norwegians, I mean (which is what counts).

As a nation we all want to take part in the success and we chant “victory is ours” and “WE won!” as if we all took part in the achievement.

And then and there we all believe it could have been us, it could have been we who were in great shape and as fit as the heroes and sticking out the pain it must be to push the body to its limits and drain every last drop of energy out of the body.

(Of course I know, deep in my heart, I don’t even have enough stamina to even rise from the sofa to get another cup of coffee. Not right now, anyway.)

As I was watching I came to think about what it must cost to be a top-level athlete, or any other outstanding performer of some sort.

Of course they give up many of the pleasures ordinary people find to be the joy of their life. They pick up on routines and diets we have no premises to even comprehend, and yet I can’t help but thinking they must do what they love the most, they pay the price and still want to continue.

By the time they turn old enough to show off results and have a paid apparatus to support them, somebody has already put down a lot of work, money, mileage, gas, time and effort to let them (and at times pushed them) keep on doing the sport they chose.

Somebody has been keeping track of time schedules, practice, training weekends, driven them to games and/or competitions, bought up to date equipment (often to a high expense and sacrificing things they wanted for themselves and others).

They have been out in all kinds of weather conditions, cheering their own and other kids on. Comforting when the kids felt they did badly and bragging like crazy when they did well. (And, perhaps the most impressive aspect of it all: they took on the laundry!)

At the same time they have been responsible for and done a lot of voluntary work raising money and keeping arenas, stadiums, tracks and facilities up to date and in good condition. Not to forget turning up serving as crew whenever an event took place… and I suspect there are quite a few pictures and videos around, showing every feat the children performed.

I am talking about the parents (often to a few of the team members) and the coaches who took on the challenge it is to guide very young children with no sense of discipline or persistence what so ever.

To all the adults who have been there for the kids, who invested themselves in the very young hopeful ones, who saw the talents and encouraged them and made them want to become Champions: CONGRATULATIONS!