Back in 1996, before we became lawfully-wedded roomies, Roomie and I lived in Hilo, Hawai'i. The picture above is the lagoon just outside our apartment. You can even see our lanai (balcony) if you look at the upper righthand corner of the terracotta-coloured structure in the background.
Destiny led us to Hawai'i when Roomie was offered a position as Instrumentation Engineer at a telescope on Mauna Kea, one of the Big Island dormant volcanoes. Because he's no fool, he accepted the job. And because I'm no fool, I followed when he asked me.
Truth be told, Roomie never really
asked me to go with him.
"Yes, I did ask you because I wanted to find a job in Hawai'i or some other warm place so that my girlfriend would want to come along."
"I think I would've remembered that."
"You never listen to me!"
"I do! Did you even consider that maybe that conversation was all in your head?!"
"..."
"What did you say, Mumbly Joe?"
"...maybe..."
Anyway, I digress...
Although we had a lot invested in this, our biggest and farthest move to date, Hawai'i was really just another stop in our adventures. Being in our mid-/late-20s with no commitment to mortgage or children, we were always on the go, moving from apartment to apartment, job to job, trying new things, and enjoying this fun and carefree time.
In retrospect, our possessions were few, which probably facilitated our nomadic lifestyle, but at the time, we thought we had a whole lot of crap... a huge dresser, a futon & frame, a retro diningroom table with chairs, a trunk, a coffee table, a non-stick pot, a cast iron pan, dishes, and of course our computer. Apparently, it wasn't that bad because the movers easily packed our belongings away in a mere 6'x6' wooden crate for transport by boat to Hawai'i.
Roomie then hopped a plane to start his new job and waited for our things to arrive 3 weeks after. Meanwhile, I stayed behind (in an empty apartment with only a black-and-white TV and futon mattress) to finish the last 3 months of a job contract with the railway.
As I counted the days before I could join my sweetheart, I was blissfully oblivious to the crisis unfolding in Paradise. You see,
there was a very real possibility that our belongings were at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
Roomie told me that, when he found out, he went through a whole gamut of emotions... shock, then disbelief, then panic. Who could blame him? There he was, all alone, in a foreign land -- foreign for us landlocked prairie people, at least -- with NOTHING.
Then the most curious thing happened. Suddenly, he felt
free.
In a split second, he realized that if our stuff was truly gone and lost, he had nothing to worry about. The possible demise of our belongings were not his fault, so he was free of any guilt. And anything we would need could be easily covered by insurance and his new income. For a while, he enjoyed the feeling of
not being weighed down by stuff.
And THAT is a feeling I've been chasing for a very long time.
Before Roomie moved in with me, I had very few things. I didn't want to have the latest gadgets or gizmos. I still don't. It's my way of rebelling, I suppose. I grew up in an environment where the acquisition and care of material things seemed to come before all else... and I mean
ALL.
So, now I'm decluttering, getting rid of the un-essential things I mysteriously acquired, and will work on saying "no" to any future un-essentials... because my kids, my roomie, and my peace of mind come first.
But do I want to get rid of
everything? Can I sell/donate/get rid of everything I own like
Karen Kingston
did to fulfill her dream of living in Fiji, or like
Jane Siberry to remove the things that weighed down her creative wings so she could fly? Am I
really prepared to live minimally? And will I panic and worry like Roomie did even though we had so little back then?
I suppose this is an endeavour that will always require a good deal of intestinal fortitude, no matter how much or how little we start out with. As long as the feeling of freedom follows, I'll just keep going.
Accessory Addiction?
Fashion Passion?
Karaoke Song?
and anything by Barbara Streisand. My girlfriends and I have spent many a drunken night singing "You don't bring me flowers"... ah, good times...
Bad Movie?
holds a special place in my heart - although Roomie would say that my favourite bad movie is Mr. Baseball
. Michelle Pfeiffer is super cool in this movie. I knew every single song and would sing to them. I don't know how many times I've seen this show.
Beauty Binge?
When did buying tealights and mascara become a luxury for me? Why do I feel guilty every time I buy a new lipstick at Aveda even though I completely scraped out my last tube the previous month? And how often does Roomie have to nag me to make a massage appointment for myself before I actually feel like it's justified?
Photo: Kipple Multiplies by Nenette
Back in 1996, before we became lawfully-wedded roomies, Roomie and I lived in Hilo, Hawai'i. The picture above is the lagoon just outside our apartment. You can even see our lanai (balcony) if you look at the upper righthand corner of the terracotta-coloured structure in the background.