29 may 1940 - 27 jan 2007

65 yrs 8 mos

there is stuff, and there is Stuff. stuff is the simple, impersonal this-&-that of everyday life. Stuff is comprised of the things that are uniquely owned. there's not always a clear delineation between stuff and Stuff. a gallon jug of laundry detergent would seem at first thought to be stuff, but when it's a gallon of fragrance-free hypoallergenic laundry detergent... well, it's closer to Stuff. it's not so unique that it's not available at the local kroger, but it's not so common that everyone uses it. and it was possibly specifically and carefully purchased for use by one with sensitive skin. stuff can cross the line to being Stuff simply for having been used by an individual. is it "just yogurt" anymore, after having inhabited that refrigerator? is it "just a lightbulb" after having been in that pantry? every single item takes on great, perhaps unduly great, importance. every piece cannot realistically be kept, so the labor of deciding which pieces are stuff and which are Stuff becomes serious business.

and, in the end, you don't want any of it - the stuff or the Stuff.
all you want, all you ever wanted, was their owner.