Why So Much Stuff? — Nicole Sallak Anderson

Stuff: Noun 1) matter, material, articles, or activities of a specified or indeterminate kind that are being referred to, indicated, or implied. “She lost all her stuff in a fire.” 2) the basic constituents or characteristics of something or someone. “Grandma was made of tougher stuff than I.” Verb 1) fill a receptacle or space tightly with something. “My house is stuffed with…stuff.” 2) used to express indifference toward or rejection of (something). “Stuff this Contents Collaboration crap, insurance sucks!”

When the boys were little they loved Legos and marble tracks. I swear they were building constantly and whenever I cleaned, I found random marbles or Legos separated from the pack and under couches, tables, inside laundry baskets, drawers, the cat bowl. It was endless. With time, they seemed to multiply. I didn’t buy more marbles but they were everywhere. I can’t count the number of times my husband stepped on a Lego at night, howling like a furious puppy, affronted by the things. It was a curse. Even after they got older and moved out, and we stored all of their collections away in Rubbermaid bins, I still found marbles and Lego pieces. A few months after the fire that took my home, when I was walking the upper property, far from any bedroom or playroom of theirs, I found a marble, green and gleaming in the sun, untouched by the flames. Yes, these things had a…