Go to I WRITE, THEREFORE I AM
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quirky-girl
i don't know, and like you, hope i never have to find out, just watching it unfold has overwhelmed me and filled me with this massive suffereing and destruction.
posted by
MysticGmekeepr
on September 3, 2005 at 11:10 AM
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I am pretty sure I don't define myself by my possessions...if I did I'd be a lot more on the ball with getting crud done around here! Redoing bathrooms...blech.... However, I do define myself too much with my job, whatever that may be at the time. Right now it is vexxing me that my job is "mommy" since it is not really the most rewarding job on a day to day basis! ("NO!" "Do we HAVE to eat that?" "Why?" "I don't care." "Poopyhead!" "Ow! He hit me!!" etc. etc. and so on...)
posted by
FactorFiction
on September 1, 2005 at 7:14 PM
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Even without clothes, I'd still value the continued experience of life... I think. In truth, I can't imagine how I might feel. How could we truly imagine without having worn the shoes? Sandi
posted by
Sandra_Harris
on September 1, 2005 at 7:09 PM
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I have no idea.....
Considering I still have no idea of exactly who I am I guess I wouldn't be too lost without all my material possesions. I may even come out of it knowing more about who I am.....
posted by
KODACHROME1970
on September 1, 2005 at 6:29 PM
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I don't know how I'd react personally, but there was a woman and her baby on the Brit news tonight and she was just saying how material possessions were nothing, she'd lost everything, but she had herself and her baby. I hope I'd feel like that, but I don't know. I don't think you ever know how you'd feel about something until you face it.
Good post. Made me think. Made me think more about those people.
posted by
_dave_says_ack_
on September 1, 2005 at 5:52 PM
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QuirkyAlone, I'd like to say that if I lost all material possessions that it would not change me but that would be dishonest because I don't know how I would be
posted by
Azur
on September 1, 2005 at 5:09 PM
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I have a disaster plan, do you?
I've got a backpack with my necessary stuff. If my house burns down, I grab the cat and my bag. If a hurricane comes, I grab the cat and my bag. If the bomb goes off, I grab my cat and the bag. But even if I didn't have my bag, I'd still be someone....I think.
posted by
MissMary
on September 1, 2005 at 3:57 PM
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Quirks,
That would totally suck. I've often wondered about how people rebuild their lives without their stuff. Pictures lost, videos, keepsakes, etc. One of my best friends' house burned down and they lost everything.
posted by
SpitFire70
on September 1, 2005 at 3:07 PM
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I've purposely ordered my life
so I would not be defined by my possessions. I've got some cool toys and don't plan to give 'em away any time soon, but if they walked out of my life tomorrow, I wouldn't be terribly concerned.
As long as nearly everything out there is a want and not a need, perspective remains in place.
I hope I never, ever, ever devolve to a point where if all I had was one set of clothes and my life, that I would not know who I was or what I was doing. Having my life is more than sufficient for abject gratitude; having a clean pair of underwear and a shirt would be icing on the cake!
posted by
strat
on September 1, 2005 at 12:19 PM
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Quirkyalone
What's truly devastating is not only did these victims lose their material possessions, but also the means to reclaim them, i.e. their communities, neighbors, jobs, etc. As the physical infrastructures were swpt away, so were their mental and emotional infrastructures as well. They are left with nothing, but also no place to go. That's a tremendous blow to recover from, even if they were lucky enough not to lose loved ones.
posted by
Talion
on September 1, 2005 at 12:06 PM
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quirk--I plan on it. If you've been keeping up with my "Ramblings"
blog, you'll see that I'm writing about the past alot. Besides, this fire was NOT an accident. You'll have to read to find out who did it!
posted by
Renigade
on September 1, 2005 at 12:03 PM
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renigade--
have you ever written about it? I think the experience would make a fascinating piece, esp. with your writing ability.
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 12:02 PM
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Yes, I was 10, and I remember very clearly how it felt to return to
nothing--and then to leave with nothing.
posted by
Renigade
on September 1, 2005 at 11:56 AM
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renigade--
were you old enough to remember the incident, to remember how you felt having all of your "stuff" just be gone in one day?
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 11:54 AM
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blackcat--
I think you're right--so much emotion is tied to our home, that losing it would take years to recover from (emotionally).
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 11:53 AM
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I've had this happen when my home burned down as a child. And yes,
I did remember who I was. The stories my mother passed down more than made up for the pictures and artifacts that were lost. And now I pass them on to my children...
posted by
Renigade
on September 1, 2005 at 11:51 AM
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Isa--
a very, very good point...in the pursuit of surrounding ourselves with "things" we often forget that, though.
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 11:51 AM
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I'd still be me.... but it would be hard to let the memories go more than
anything. That, and all the hard work you had put into the home. I imagine it would feel heartbreaking. We went through this in a much less tragic sense when my boyfriend's car burnt to nothing. The material stuff can be replaced... but the feeling of loss gets you initially. With a home, I'd imagine that feeling would last much longer...
posted by
-blackcat
on September 1, 2005 at 11:50 AM
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Jillian--
I understand how how feel.
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 11:49 AM
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Lisa--
Yes, I think it would be life changing.
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 11:48 AM
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Laylabeth--lol--
Neither do I!!
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 11:48 AM
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I do think...
that you don't need to have possessions to be someone...i have been through so many difficult financial situations, painful situations (i nearly lost my appartment several years ago)...but i never felt the need to have a lot of material possessions to know that i am human lol
i'm posting this comment regardless of the situation in New Orleans...i know that what those ppl are going through is terrible...but spiritually talking isn't our whole life a lesson to lose our possessions in order to gain God? I mean...when we quit earth, we leave it naked anyway...with zero possessions...
posted by
Marshallengraved
on September 1, 2005 at 11:47 AM
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LLM--
thanks for your lovely comment.
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 11:35 AM
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gypsy--
how sad, that you can answer the question having already lived it.
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 11:34 AM
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medusa--
I felt something similar when all of my jewelry was stolen by a burglar. It's just jewelry, but many pieces were prized and irreplaceable.
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 11:33 AM
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Alf--
I think I do, too.
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 11:32 AM
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katray--
thanks for stopping by!
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 11:32 AM
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posted by
poetjpb
on September 1, 2005 at 10:54 AM
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Quirky,
It is like a friendship warzone in here. The writing are definatly unique, but building those bonds are like playing a game. I am a logical thinker and I am not sure who is true or real. Not that it should matter much. Do some of them actually work for Blogit to initate conversation, who has time to post every 15 minutes.
posted by
Jillians.New-Beginning
on September 1, 2005 at 10:48 AM
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Great thought to ponder...
Having experienced such an instant, although terrifying, sad, devastating for that moment, it also empowered me with the ability to recreate myself in my next higher form. I've had everything and lost it at times in my life, but I have always come through such experiences stronger, wiser, and much better person. It truly changes your perspective and priorities.
I pray that it be merely hypothetical from this point on...but that experience truly changes you as a person.
posted by
LifeByLisa
on September 1, 2005 at 10:26 AM
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I don't know who I am...
...WITH all of this sh*t, let alone without it. Excellent question to pose, though...
~LB~
posted by
Anony_Miss
on September 1, 2005 at 10:14 AM
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Excellent post, Quirky my friend.
Yes, I would know exactly who I am. Not to say I haven't felt lost at times...We all have, haven't we? This may sound like an odd thing to say, but having a physical challenge forces a person to know who they are...Like it or not.
When we lose our way in this life, God is always there to remind us that we are His children. That is worth more than all the possessions we will ever hold here in this life.
God bless you.
posted by
lovelyladymonk
on September 1, 2005 at 9:56 AM
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Since I've had to live on the streets before...
I know I'm ok with who I am when I have had nothing.
posted by
RedHeadedGypsy
on September 1, 2005 at 9:40 AM
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Well-written, Quirky......
Very thought-provoking. As long as I had my health and my loved ones, yes, I would know who I was. But my sense of pride would gnaw at me, and yes, I would be struggling to get back all I had lost. It would kill me not to have what I had before in possessions and lifestyle. I do have to admit that also.
posted by
MedusaNextDoor
on September 1, 2005 at 9:38 AM
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Quirky...
I believe my identity would be safe...sadly though, I know people who could not say that.
posted by
A_Norseman
on September 1, 2005 at 9:33 AM
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quirky just speaking what seems to bbe the truth in my eyes xxx
posted by
mcbreeze
on September 1, 2005 at 9:32 AM
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quirky
Thank you. Comes with age and experience , see?
posted by
ariel70
on September 1, 2005 at 9:29 AM
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If I had my loved ones and nothing else
I would be intact.
Good post Quirky.
posted by
Katray2
on September 1, 2005 at 9:27 AM
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Justsouno--
oh, thanks so much for commenting. This sentence you wrote was exceptional: You are who you are stripped down to nakedness and penniless.
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 9:25 AM
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ariel--
you have a very good head on your shoulders.
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 9:24 AM
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mcbreeze--
thank you, your comment was lovely to read as well!
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 9:23 AM
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Quirky a very good post. I wondered in the beginning where these
busses were when they said so many were staying behind because they had no where to go or had no funds to go anywhere. My God! Would it not have been better for all concerned to have been bussed out if it has been a false alarm? Then everybody would be blasting the government for empty spending. I can't believe people. You are who you are stripped down to nakedness and penniless. At that time it is us and God. I don't want to be there, but if I could and be confident I feel I would be tremendously successful. However, I complain with empty facts after the fact because who would have thought we would need to take people all the way to Dallas. Wow!BB
posted by
Justi
on September 1, 2005 at 9:22 AM
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Ariala--
yes--I would think that for those who are poor and have next to nothing, going to "nothing" is much less of a crisis than someone who is caught up in surrounding themselves with "things."
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 9:22 AM
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Good point, Quirky...in fact, the more you have, sometimes the harder it
is to let go of it...
posted by
Ariala
on September 1, 2005 at 9:19 AM
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Ariala--
I would agree with you, that physical stuff does detract from what is important, esp. when one gets caught up in amassing hordes of possessions.
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 9:18 AM
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quirky
As one who had been dirt poor, I stick by what I said. One doesn't need possessions to be what one is
posted by
ariel70
on September 1, 2005 at 9:17 AM
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ariel--
I wouldn't say I have self doubt really--more like, I am just asking the question, exploring the issue, what it would feel like.
posted by
Julia.
on September 1, 2005 at 9:14 AM
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quirky
if i had mand and my 2 kids i wld only need 1 set of clothes and nothing more to keep me as who i am this was lovely to read and think about,xxxx
posted by
mcbreeze
on September 1, 2005 at 9:13 AM
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Good post, Quirky...I really think what we have is a reflection of who we
are, and our identity remains if we don't put our material possessions first. I often wonder if, maybe, the physical "stuff" distracts from the important stuff? I think so...if I had nothing, I know that things would still work out...at least I hope I'd feel that way if I was in such a predicament.
posted by
Ariala
on September 1, 2005 at 9:09 AM
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quirky
Oh yes, if I had nothing, I'd know who I was/am!
Outward trappings of possessions mean nothing to me. I judge people by what they are ; not what they have.
You should not have any self-doubt ; which I seem to detect in this post
posted by
ariel70
on September 1, 2005 at 9:09 AM
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