The Raft

I heard a story recently about a traveler who built a raft to cross a raging river on her journey through life. She reached the other side successfully. Thinking she might need the raft again, she kept it and ended up carrying it for the rest of her life.

This is what we humans do. During times of tests or danger we build habits or ways of thinking that protect or sustain us. Then, we keep these long past the time of their usefulness. During times of high stress we may try to use these old ways when it is new ways that are needed.

It is the same with material possessions. We need, or at least think we need, certain items during particular times or for particular uses in our lives. Then, we may keep them long past the time of their usefulness. They weigh us down and hamper our development and mobility.

I have resisted materialism all my life, only to find it has crept in quietly and infected my life. As for any malady, there is a healing that needs to take place. I think, now, that materialism is just as insidious as racism and the healing starts with scrubbing out the old wound.