Why are flea markets, yard sales, second-hand and consignment stores, and online auctions flourishing? Clearly, with a landscape dotted with storage facilities, it’s because we’ve got too much stuff. Yes, this theme has made appearances in previous blogs, but it hasn’t gone away. The issue hasn’t even really diminished. We – Americans especially –live with the ever-present possibility that our junk might become hazardous gunk.
Certainly, there’s danger for the environment as landfills sprawl across our communities. And, in the wake of Helene, there are tons of debris both natural and humanmade that must be scooped up and laid to rest somewhere. Tragic in so many ways. Clearly, there’s also the burden which falls on the shoulders of family members in the wake of incapacitation or death made even more difficult if it happens suddenly. The requisite sifting and sorting, deciding and divvying up can layer the loss with pelts of pain. We know this and yet we hang on. We not only cling to what we have but also acquire more.
But without a doubt, not all stuff is junk. We honor our heritage as we hold on to family treasures. We cherish the creations of children and grandchildren uniquely crafted and given with joy. We truly believe that we will one day resume that hobby placed on hold during an arduous career or read the untouched novels on our shelves. Yet it’s hazardous when our junk does become gunk.
We believe we know the difference. We can conceptualize it. We can spot it easily in the lives of others. Gunk is stuff that gets in the way. When it’s in our arteries, it impairs our health. When it accumulates in the plumbing lines, it messes with the flow of faucets and the flush of toilets. When it builds up in the engine of our vehicle, it wreaks havoc with its functioning. Gunk is stubborn and destructive. Gunk hinders proper functioning. Gunk clogs up, backs up, racks up, trips up, and rips up. And sometimes our junk becomes gunk.
And sometimes it’s not the tangible stuff that becomes gunk in our lives. There’s a metaphorical warehouse chocked full of social, emotional, spiritual, and psychological stumbling blocks that can get in our way. In a nutshell, it’s the quest for more of whatever it is we believe will fill us, make us complete, still the relentless restlessness within us. Maybe we’ve done our homework and taken inventory and whittled away at eliminating all this gunk. And maybe there’s more work to be done to deal with the gunk that gets in our way.
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