Things I Never Want to Own

Over the past week, I've been keeping track of things I never want to own during the course of my lifetime. I started this list when I was walking across the campus here at Covenant and heard a car alarm going off incessantly in the parking lot in the middle of the day. This happens about once a week to somebody for no real reason, and I always wonder how much longer the owners are going to put up with something that annoying.

I've never been much of a "things" person. To me, something is only worth having if there is a good and frequent use for it that doesn't stem from the compulsion that, just because one has it, it must be used (and therefore kept). For me, any value derived from the things on the list below is not worth what they require in maintenance or toleration. They are:

• Car alarm - the only time it goes off is when the car is alone in the parking lot
• Home alarm - the last thing I want to wake up to is my home alarm going off
• Cell phone - been there, done that, got the radiation; I hate living "on call"
• Answering machine - same main reason as the cell phone: if we're home, we answer; if we're not, call back later (and don't try to make me feel bad about it)
• Boat - only if it doubles as my house (then I might be able to justify the expense)
• Swimming pool - maybe if it came with its own cabana boy and a life-time guarantee of perptual clean, clear, 100-degree water
• Golf clubs - I think golf is one of the silliest "sports" on earth; sorry
• SUV/Land Yacht - again, only if it doubles as my boat (which would be doubling as my house, which then I might be able to justify the expense)
• Time share - I've been to the presentations and thought seriously about it once; but it taps too much into the aforementioned "we have to use it because we have it" complusion; no thanks

Feel free to add your own items and reasons to the list (or question the things on mine). I'd love to see what I might be forgetting.

Comments

[RT]

I couldn't help but laugh at the need for "clean, clear, 100-degree water." I'm right there with you, Craig.

[Craig]

Nothing worse than the opposite (i.e. "dirty, mucky, 10-degree water"). But then again, Rebecca, I'm not much of a swimmer either - something about having to wear that Speedo...