Stuff. Losing stuff. Getting stuff.

As is clear from from the last couple weeks our storage unit was ransacked and burglarized.Some talking at work got me thinking about stuff in general. On one hand we have some stuff in the unit (or, as the case may be, had) that we keep around because we use it infrequently. Things like various holiday decorations that come out once a year fall into that category. Then there's the stuff that we use often that just takes up a lot of space -- the prime example is the camping gear that got stolen. Then there's the stuff we want to use, the sentimental things, and the stuff we just don't want to throw away.I'll start with the last one first: the stuff we don't want to throw away. It's the box and specialized boxes... boxes for scanners. Boxes for the oscilloscope to ship. Of course this includes the packing materials. If we need to move something, it's a lot easier with the right box -- and you can't just go out and buy another box for an iMac or something.The stuff we want to use includes things like the radio and enlarger. The radio just needed an antenna strung up. We just hadn't gotten around to it yet. Same with the enlarger and the rest of the darkroom stuff -- the new house actually has some room such that it's plausible to get something set up.Then there's the sentimental stuff... some clothes (or parts thereof). The train set. Photographs. Things like that.I can see being less sentimental and getting rid of things. I can see selling stuff off as well. But a lot of the stuff I really do find useful -- if only sporadically.Then there's the getting of new stuff.The camping gear that was stolen has mostly been reacquired. I have to say it feels good to be made a bit more whole. Being able to go camping again. Sure, it's just stuff.But it's stuff that has a purpose for the most part.Even if sometimes that purpose is simply to make you smile.