Too much stuff

My prophet friend, Jimmy Buffet, the song writer, complained that "Now times are tough, I got too much stuff." He was complaining that the time and effort to keep up with all of it, to keep it safe, to use it, and to pay for it consumed too much of his life and so he had little time for relaxation and leisure.

So I found it very interesting to find a quote from about a hundred years ago that sounded very much the same. "People forget that the human soul can enjoy a thing most when there is time to think about it, and be thankful for it. And by crowding things together they lose the sense of surprise, and surprise is the secret of joy."

Joy comes from those "ah" moments that are not expected. The great joy we get from giving a gift to somebody of something very special but which was not expected by the recipient. The joy we have when somebody compliments our work when we were not expecting it. Maybe that is why some people still do not want to know the sex of their baby before it is born.

Then there is the great delight in being able to take time to think about, to savor it, to relive it, to let it soak in. What kind of joy is it when the coach says that the great unexpected victory will have to be forgotten and the focus has to be the next game. There ought to be a bye week after those kind of games. The great pleasure comes in allowing the surprise to soak into and through our lives. To take time to immerse the soul in the event and to accept it and appreciate it. To say thanks to the world for it.

If the quote has any truth in it, then perhaps the fascination with more stuff, instant messages, constant games, texting, and trying to live 24/7, always wanting to do things and go places, ultimately works against our deepest and best joy. Be still and enjoy the surprises in your lives.