perspective

 as i have mentioned here before, i find the blog

the burning house to be absolutely fascinating.

they just recently did a piece for the anthropologist

highlighting several people separated by generation and 

what items are most valuable and or important to them.

i have to admit, when i read through the first one,

prized items from a 10 year old, 

i found it a little depressing...

(why do 10 year olds have laptops?)

are those really the most important things to her?

oh, well.  she's only a kid.  

i guess i would have wanted to bring my autographed poster

of saved by the bell when i was 10, so i'll give her time...

moving on.

i continued to be fascinated by the rest of the list.

some thoughtful, some odd.

some very sweet...

as i continued to read through them, i continued

to think about what i would bring?

could i keep my list down to a handful of items?

and still, i wonder, what would my kids choose?

then you come to the very last one, 

a ninety-one year old artist from new york.

and instead of a list is this...

I really went through a fire, 

and I was thinking

 there are lots of things I like a lot, 

but I'm not that attached that 

I couldn't be without them. You know?

...

The only good thing is that

you realize whatever you possess are THINGS. 

And so it's not easy to replace

 anything you've painted, but

—they are THINGS. You—alive! 

The best thing you have is your life, you see? 

...

Almost anything is replaceable, except your life. 

And that is what's important. –I.R.S.

oh, yes.  that's right.

just things.

how easy that is to forget.

but how nice to be reminded.