Error of our ways or ways of our error?

After reading the first few paragraphs of The Phenomenology of Error, I thought it was dull and a bit dry in parts. I understand why we read this piece but felt that it complicated a somewhat straightforward idea by trying to oversimplify the point. Yes, it is important to understand what error is and even though it's difficult to pinpoint an overall consensus among everyone on what error really is, it is also important to understand and maybe even cater to one's audience. If they do not notice, understand, or even care then the error(s) in the writing as Williams demonstrated with excerpts from White and Orwell, are not so crucial. On the other hand, if one is checking for grammatical errors then, of course, it is important to be spot on with usage but again that cannot be done easily if everyone disagrees with what is error and what is not. I felt that this piece did not have to be so long or need every single example that was used to make his intent understood. I found his examples like "Can't nobody tell what be happening four year from now." to be funny at first but as he kept using more of them, it just became redundant (kind of like my post) and just made it more to read.

Electronic Writing

I have blogged on and off since 2005 and, fairly recently, in 11011 last spring. It wouldn't be too far of a stretch to say that in the last 10 years, I haven't gone more than 10 days without writing electronically. AOL instant messenger, email, Xanga, Myspace, Facebook, text messages, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint...All of those things I've used quite frequently at some point in the past or present.

I have written substantially more electronically than I have on paper, and spend more time writing electronically. Since high school, my main reason for pen-and-paper has been to write down my homework in a planner, make a to do list on a Post-it Note, or answer questions on loose leaf for homework assignments. I do prefer checking things off of a list with a pen because I physically have to cross it off the list and I feel more accomplished than if I just highlighted the word and pressed strike-through. Other than that, typing is the way to go for me. It looks cleaner, is more eco-friendly, and it's harder to lose things when they're on my computer or phone.

Writing electronically speeds up the writing process for me sometimes. If you don't like something you write, you just delete it. No messing with erasers or crossing it out. Although, I also edit as I go when I'm typing something out, which sometimes takes longer because you're not writing as much. Pen-and-paper isn't as good of a medium for editing as you go because there's just not enough space (at least with my large hand-writing). As far as getting my ideas down, I have the same thoughts whether it's pen-and-paper or typing it out. I guess I just use electronic writing more because I can't get away from it, and a lot of times, am required to use it.

John's Sideburns

Alyssa Brown
John Abersold
Lindsey Todorov
Ike Andrews

Someone who can’t grow facial hair or a stalker

Someone trying to make money off him because they believe he’ll be famous. Someone who needs his hair for a voodoo doll. Someone trying to make a fake beard, mustache or chest hair.

Half-Empty Mouth Wash

1. One possibility is a person who mistook it for an unopened bottle. Or, a person with low income and bad oral hygiene. Possibly a person just looking to help him out, or to do it for the thrill. Then again, it could have been an underage alcoholic.

2. It probably sold because people wanted to help him out. People may have bought it to brag that they have an item of this mans life.

The first item we looked at was the half-empty bottle of mouthwash. We assumed that the type of person that bought the mouthwash was most likely already following the website and wanted to be a part of the project. The buyer was probably intrigued by it because they thought it was a funny piece of memoribilia.

The T-4 Super and 50 photographs

a. We think that an art teacher could have bought this item for the photographs.
b. Some high school art teachers collect random photos or objects for students to use for projects. Since this camera came with 50 photos, this could appeal to the teacher.

all my life for sale item

We chose the $25 bill and 3 photocopies of it. We think the kind of person that bought this item was a random old guy who likes collecting bills and coins. We believe it sold because there weren't many of them made and they were never circulated so its a very unique piece of art. This guy must have a whole room devoted to his hobby and has many books filled with coins from all over the world and different time periods.

By: Bailey A. and Vince A.

All My Life for Sale - Mark's Christmas Gift

This item is simply an unopened present. Why would someone want to buy something and not even know what it really is?

Perhaps the person who bought this was a lonely person who didn't have family or friends around. This person just really wanted a present for Christmas that would be a surprise, and not something that they picked out and bought for himself.

Or, maybe the person who bought this was crunched for time and needed a present to take to a White Elephant gift exchange at work or another Christmas party. He didn't care what was inside it or how crappy it was because he didn't care about the person he was giving it to.

Why did something as random as this sell?

It sold because it was random. Some people just like having random things and think it's fun. Even if it was given to someone that the buyer cared about, he could explain the story behind the gift. I'm sure it would have been unforgettable.

-Pearl, Kylie, Keisha

Selling My Life Away

While looking at the page, a few items struck our attention:

The Handmade Book: someone who was reminiscing about the past, remembering something that they lived through or wants to learn more about the past would probably buy this object. Piecing together a past that they might or might not have lived through.
“Because someone was trying to keep a token of their time.”
“This was something that was homemade… you get a sense of who [Freyer] is.”
Maybe someone would buy this because it could help the buyer relate to someone else in the world. "I think it would be cool to buy the book... to look at it."


The picture- Truthfully, I (Jen) would buy all of the pictures he sold because I collect things like that, trying to piece together a past of someone who I don’t know. Maybe someone would buy this because they want to tell a story, one that might relate to their life or might be a fantasy of what they wish they had.
The buyer did teach photography at Hamilton College, so that is one key reason to buy a photo- whether good or bad, "to motivate themselves and others" or to learn from mistakes

All my Life for Sale

I really enjoyed reading this article because it Freyer narrates through his hardships and how he overcame them. I feel that his problem with wanting to keep and store everything that seemed sentimental to him is probably one of the hardest things to fix. For instance, I still have my first report card filled with all A's from the 7th grade in my room, which now would be seen as corny. I feel as if it's not just a memory but also a token of proof to myself that I had done so well. I never thought a piece of paper could mean so much to me, so I understand where Freyer is coming from; however I am no where near the level that he was on about keeping stuff.

Freyer selling all of his belongings that he felt he didn't need anymore shows character because he realizes that he had been doing the same thing for so long but after reflection he decided it's time to move on, and almost in a way start a new life. I would go on to argue that Freyer broke a social norm which would be that anyone like him could never give anything away. It takes a strong person to realize change and also just look at things through memory rather then a tangible good in his hand.

Identity was shown in Freyer's article because he made a website due to everyone doing .com businesses at the time. I feel an example of someone finding their identity would be Freyer. He didn't just have wittingly go through his belonging and give them away, but rather reflected on each and every one of them to see how it played a role in his life and growing up. I feel that someone who reflects on anything from the past to see how it changed them is a perfect example of identity and internal experiences. One could even go on to say it makes you wiser to do such.

All My Life for Sale

When I first started to read this story all that I thought was that this guy just wanted to hawk his stuff in an attempt to get rich. The idea that all of his friends were making money with basic web designs inspired him to try and do the same, out of greed in my opinion. But I feel as though he actually grew through this whole experience when he saw how much things in his life were actually worth to other people. When he talks about the toaster burning other peoples toast the same that it did his, I think he may have actually been missing his toaster. When you look at your life from a monetary prospective you can see how much things that basically have no value are worth.

This show really reminded me of my house and made me think about starting something similar. I wouldnt consider myself a hoarder, but as I read this I came to realize how cluttered my desk and room really are. I found that this story speaks to almost everybody because almost everyone holds on to things that are basically useless to them, but yet they cant rid themselves of. Im glad that he got his life more together and got some money in the process, I think I could use the same trick to make a quick buck to be honest.

All my life for sale

After reading John Freyer's "All My Life for Sale", I feel that I can compare a lot of the things he is saying to myself. When he mentions that instead of seeing the things in his apartment as objects and instead memories, I feel the same way when I’m trying to get rid of things. It makes the process harder because you start remembering the place you bought them, when you bought them, who you were with when you bought them and what you were doing.

Also while reading the selection, it reminded me of the show “Hoarders”. The people on that show have a serious case of what John went through, in that they don’t want to get rid of their things because of the strong memories attached. For example, if someone had belongings from a spouse or other family member that they were close to, it would be extremely difficult for them to let go of that object because of the memories.

Aside from the objects, I was surprised at the number of people who welcomed John into their homes. The acceptance people have others surprises me sometimes, not that it’s a bad thing. Especially when Freyer was talking about the September 11^th attacks and how some people posted to his blog worried about him because they knew he was in New York City, that’s just awesome.

Stuff

Coincidentally, I viewed the same George Carlin video around the same week that classes started this semester. He is one of my favorite comedians, along with others like Bill Hicks. This clip and “All of My Life for Sale” are some good ways to think about how material objects affect our identity, and prepare for the first paper.

My favorite section in Freyer’s story is the recollection of him selling his toaster, and discovering that parting from this item would change him subtlety—he would stop eating toast. It is funny and insignificant, but creates the argument that ‘stuff’ permits us to do things we otherwise couldn’t. The notion that it changes who we are is still debatable.

Thinking about the toaster, I remembered a video I recently watched that I feel ties into these ideas well. The video describes a man’s attempt to build a toaster from scratch, and concludes that without the help of the rest of society, creating a toaster is nearly impossible. So if creating the things in our worlds requires a civilization, and the things in the world actually define who we are, then social forces do have a direct effect on our identity . . . that is, if the first two arguments are irrefutable.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ODzO7Lz_pw

I found myself at a disagreement to the context of the “Shitty First Drafts” article. As I’ve said in an earlier post, I often find there is little I want to edit in my writing, or that I don’t know how to go back through and make it better. So at the end of the article when it asks, “From what Lamott has to say, is writing a first draft more about the product or the process?” for me, it is the product. If I did go about and write papers more carefree, I would not be sure if I could go back and make it suffice. I see a work of writing as a more holistic effort, rather than a form that is built piece by piece.

All my Stuff

I listened to all my stuff, and I didn't find it all that funny. I think that what he was saying is true, but I wasn't impressed with it. I do remember a situation I experienced that was similar to that was when one time I went on vacation to Orlando, Florida. While we were there our relatives in West Palm Beach wanted us to go down and visit them, so we packed our "stuff" and went down to stay with them for a few days. While we were there they wanted to take us to the gulf side of the florida coast so we packed again and went there. I couldn't help but think of this when I was listening to the sound clip. The only thing that I was expecting to hear from him that he didn't say was when you come back from vacation, you end up bring more stuff back then what you came with.

All My Life For Sale

All My Things For Sale:

It sounded kind of scary for him to stay at strangers' houses, but it sounds like the buyers and
readers of his posts are genuine and caring people. Probably quite similar to him. It's also crazy
he happened to be in NYC for 9/11.

A Place For My Stuff:

Being a college student, you eventually realize that you don't have extra money to spend on all of that "stuff" you think you need. The other day, I was at Drugmart, and there was a hands-free soap dispenser on sale for 6 bucks(you know, you wave your hand in front of it, and the soap pumps out magically), and I almost bought it. I was being rational that day, I guess. First off, I definitely didn't need it because I've got plenty of soap dispensers back home, even though they're not all cool and high-tech. Secondly, I live in a dorm for 2/3 of the year... wouldn't make any sense to have it either. It's cool that Carlin took a reality of the everyday, and turned it into something funny.

Shitty First Drafts:

When I first started reading "Shitty First Drafts", literally, this was my first thought: "Dude, this is awesome!" Haha because it's so true.

I definitely can get anxiety about writing. At the start of any assignment, I am a perfectionist. It's all or nothing with me. Go big or go home. I'm dreamin' big and want everything to go smoothly and be well-thought out. But then, I start the assignment. If the ideas are not going so well to begin with, I go from being a perfectionist to being a procrastinator. Which then, if I'm not careful, can turn me into an underachiever because I don't make the time to even write the paper.

I think Anne Lamott's bottom line is to get over our fear and anxiety of writing sh*tty drafts, and to just go ahead and write those sh*tty drafts. Then, we can actually write something like what we envisioned we would write. Hearing this come from a person whose written 6 novels, I think I'll take her advice.

(I'm just going to pretend like today is Monday because I ever so confidently looked at week 2 instead of week 3 for the blogging schedule this week)

All my life for sale

Reading Freyer's All My Life for Sale, I wasn't really sure if I sympathized with Freyer in the beginning of the story. When the story started, it basically seemed like Freyer really wanted to get rich one way or another. He talked about how all of his friends were making loads of money in the dot-com boom, and he felt like he was missing out. As I continued reading though, I ended up enjoying his story. I know, personally, I wouldn't choose to sell off every one of my personal items simply so that it would match up with a domain name, but to each his own. It's an interesting concept to see what the people who bought his items were like in real life. I've always sold off items like he did at garage sales thinking they were just junk I didn't need anymore, but obviously the person buying them intended to make good use out of them. Overall, it was an original idea and an interesting story, but I don't know how profound of a thing it is to invite yourself to other people's homes to see how they're using something you sold them off of ebay, but maybe I'm being a little cynical. That said, I did still enjoy the story.

A Place For My S*** For All My Life

Reading All My Life For Sale, made me think about how today we hoard items whether they are near and dear to our hearts or not. I feel like Freyer wasn't happy with his life but only because he thought New York would make him happier than being in Iowa. All of his friends were making cash money building websites and he was stuck in the middle of nowhere but as soon as someone offered him a huge pay check for the rights to this story he was completely content to stay in Iowa.

On reading Shitty First Drafts, I found it reassuring when she talked about how even the greatest writers have difficulty with writing. It takes a lot of pressure off knowing that a writer you admire has bad days when it comes to writing and its even better to know that they too get embarrassed about their work.

Listening to A Place for My Stuff, made me laugh a lot. I didn't only laugh because of the way he said the things he said but also because they were true in the most ridiculous manner possible. People accumulate things and then need nooks and crannies to shove them in. This even holds true when they go away from their nooks and crannies. I found that even though these readings were all inter-related in some way I enjoyed them for the reasons that kept them different.

All My Life For Sale

It's interesting to think about what it would be like to sell everything you own.  I do think most people attach their identities to their possessions to some degree (and to a high degree in middle class America), so it would be a stripping down of the self to sell almost all you own. I know some people who are dependent on material things so much that I don't think they know who they really are, or who they would be without being able to lean on their stuff.  It would have a devastating effect on the mind of someone like that to no longer have that crutch.

Other than that, I thought it was a decent read, and I liked the item entries.  His writing was a little bit dry to read, but I might be interested in checking out some of the rest of the book.  I could see it being more compelling than the introduction.

A place for my stuff

After looking at the readings I chose to listen to the audio portion of it first. Even though Carlin was trying to make his little sketch about “stuff” as comical as he could, the truth of the matter is it is all true. Your whole life you find yourself buying “stuff” and spending all your money on it that you earn. Whether it is stuff that you need or stuff that you want, it all is as he puts it, just “stuff”. I enjoyed listening to how he said the only reason you have a house is mainly to put all your stuff in it so you have room for all of your things and then when you leave you lock it up so that no one is able to steal your stuff. After reading the article about Freyer and all of his stuff the beginning made me think about the south park episode and the real show that deals with hoarding. It is just about people who cant let go of they things that they have and what they have collected over the years. When people do this kind of thing it makes it very hard to be organized and neat. Personally I am not a complete neat freak but I do like having things pretty organized and looking somewhat neat. So I try not to be the type of person that clings on to everything I have and keep it forever. Growing up I actually liked having garage sales and getting rid of the useless items and toys that I no longer needed. Im not saying that a person should get rid of everything because I feel that some things are meant to be kept, but a lot of things in our life we just need to get rid of and move on.

All My Life For Sale

At first when I first started reading the selection on Freyer auctioning off all of his stuff I almost thought that this man must be crazy for just selling everything he owns! But, as I read on it made alot more sense because I can deffinately connect with Freyer alot when he says "I have always been the type of person who holds on to things-who saves objects that are obviously broken, with the hope that I will be able to use them in a project or eventually even get them fixed." When I read this my first thought was of myself, just possibly not to the extent of Freyer. I can't help it, whether it's broken, old, useless or my clothes I just feel that if I get rid of whatever the object is that someday I may need it/want it, or it could be useful.

His story did turn out to be very interesting. He left for three months and realized that he acquired more things than he had left behind and decided that it was just too much. He felt that if he sold off all of his extra stuff that he did not need he would not be tied down.

Freyer's idea to sell off all of his stuff turned out to be an awesome project. He valued his things so he left a little story with all of the things he posted to sell. Then he became interested in where his things were going and who the owners were. I think that it is awesome that he made selling his stuff so personal and basically went on an adventure traveling to meet the people he had sold his stuff to and was so interested in their story of how they used what they had bought off of him.

Personally I think what Freyer did was awesome. Myself I feel that I have way too much stuff than I will ever know what to use it for. It really made me think of all the stuff that I have and how much better I would probably feel if I could get rid of alot of my stuff.

writing process

Its true that our mind is moving faster than our mouths can get ideas out, or in the writing aspect, our mind is working faster than our fingers can type. When i'm first assigned a writing project, i'll admit i get excited... like REALLY excited. my mind starts blowing up with ideas and i feel like i have to get them on paper as fast as i can in fear that i'll forget these awesome ideas. So typically, as soon as the class where the paper was assigned is over, i race back to my computer and immediately pull up Word. And i sit at my desk, unmoved, undisturbed until the paper is complete. I don't bother with outlines or note cards or any other unnecessary step before i start letting my emotions flow onto the paper.

I revise as i go. theres no rough draft, second draft, final draft in my process. I'll write a sentence and not move on until its perfectly worded how i want it. I consider this process a gift, however i have no sympathy for those who are just awful at writing, i cant wrap my brain around the thought of someone spending hours upon hours on a paper only to type their name so far on the document. Most of these people, keep in mind, can talk your ear off on a daily basis, but to not have an opinion or viewpoint about any given topic and be able to write your thoughts down, i just dont get it.

Needless-to-say, my writing isn't much of a writing process, i just write.

allmystuffforsale dot-com

After reading the article about Allmystuffforsale.com, John Freyer really made me think about our society. We work to spend, but what are we spending it on? I'm all for vacations and activities that can add to our memory of the life we spent here on earth. But what about all the 'stuff' we buy? Clothes, shoes, and various other objects... don't get me wrong, i'm all for people wearing clothes but i can't help but wonder why we buy just to spend. Just the other day i bought an all-purpose microfiber towel. Sure, i did need a hand towel for my bathroom, but i already had one. But this new towel, it was pink and i didn't already have a pink towel. Why was I compelled to buy something i already had? I think, as Americans, we are all some level of hoarders. We buy because we have the money (or don't have the money) without really having the need. John Freyer had an awesome idea, not only was he de-cluttering his house, he was de-cluttering his life. He has inspired me to do the same, and yes, i do still plan on spending to get the latest gadgets and clothes but maybe i should make it a rule that i must get rid of something before i can buy something new?

Reflection on my Writing Process

Whenever I have to write something I always make sure I know what type of paper it is. For example whether it be a persuasive paper, research, proposal, etc.... I usually always check to see if preliminary research needs to be completed before writing the paper successfully. If there is any research that needs to be completed I usually try and get that done in reasonable time to allow me time to set up my paper and brainstorm on how to go about writing it. I have had problems starting a paper because I don't know what to write first, but over time I have come to realize I just put down for my introduction what comes to mind, because I feel that if you have a justified thesis, body paragraphs, and most importantly a conclusion, you can in fact change the introduction to correlate with the paper. Before typing an actual paper and after I have completed the research I always make sure I know what I will cite and I cite it before I type the paper so I don't forget to put correct citations in, to prevent plagiarism.

Stuff

John Freyer is one brave guy. I don’t think I could ever do what he did. I am very attached to all my things not only because I bought them with hard earned money but because they have their own story behind them. What he did was very interesting and it is amazing how much money he managed to make form selling his “junk”. As I look around my apartment now, there isn’t any thing I’d be willing to sell. I feel like all my things are a part of me now. They were given to me by someone significant or have a memory attached to them. Although I feel like getting rid of some things would give me somewhat of a relief because like Freyer I too feel like I have a lot of stuff that is purely useless, I just think it would be too hard to part with. My mom calls me a pack rat because I save everything but I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. I think the fact that Freyer started this thing during the big .com boom had to do with his great success. Also the fact that he created his own site helped too. His own site made it more interesting and gave his reasons and story. This probably helped to draw people in and keep track of what they bought and in touch with them. Overall I enjoyed reading about Freyer and his story of the journey of his possessions and him.

All My Life For Sale

I found John Freyer's article "All My Life For Sale" to be very interesting. Freyer first decides to sell his unnecessary possessions so that he could leave Iowa and make his way back to New York City. As he began to sell these possessions he began to think about how these possessions effected him and where they came from. As he progressed he began to sell them he would add descriptions and photos. Freyer then thought about the dot com boom that was occurring at the time and decided that he would start a website that would help him sell the stuff that he did not want anymore. The only web site name that was available was allmylifeforsale.com.

As Freyer thought about the website and began to put his items up for sale, he began to wonder if he was living up to the name of his website. If he were to back up his website he would literally have to sell all of his possessions. He cataloged everything that he owned, all 600 items, and put them up for sale on his website. As people began buying these items he began to ask for updates on all of his own possessions that he sold. The people who responded talked to him about the objects and what they meant to him. He proceeded to ask his clients if he could actually visit them and see how the objects were put to use. He traveled across the country to these houses that would take him in and allowed him to look at the objects.

Freyer thought of the objects that he owned to be unnecessary in the beginning of his project. I think that as he began to sell his stuff that he realized that they actually meant something to him and that overall they defined him as a person and that they told his life's story. Freyer became fascinated how much these items had meant to him and how much they meant to other people after they were sold. I know that my possessions are very important to me. I don't know how I would survive without them and I feel that Freyer wanted to see how it would feel to be stripped of his possessions and prove to himself that they don't control him.

Stuff

When I listen to “A place for my stuff” and read “All my life for sale” it made me think of all the stuff that people collect. How many of us collect some type of knick- knack or know some one else who collects knick- knacks. I bet it’s a lot more of us then we would like to admit. I know quite a few people including myself who collect things. Some of these things end up being worth something the longer you hang on to it. However most of the stuff isn’t worth anything. So why do we collect things? Almost any one you ask why they collect what they collect they will say its because some sort of special meaning to them.

All My Life For Sale

The article All My Life for Sale by Freyer was very interesting it made me realize how materialistic I am. All the things I brought from home that aren’t even necessary to have at school are here. I bring those things to show who I am and what I like to do and such. But Freyer sold a lot of his belongings that I would consider that I would need to live, like his toaster and his clothes and stuff I would never consider selling those types of items. To him selling those items are decluttering his space, to me that’s getting rid of memorable items.

There are certain things to keep, and certain things to get rid of when the time is right. But at some point in your life when you start to realize that you have no room in your house, or your house is starting to look cluttered you need to start pitching things so that you don’t go to an extreme and realize that its getting out of hand. And that’s what Freyer knew he had to do in order to declutter his house.

I found it interesting that he sold his items on ebay and asked for the buyers to keep him updated on the items that they were purchasing of his. I know how ebay works my dad uses it all the time. But sometimes when you buy things on there you never know what condition you are going to receive them in, but people trusted that. He had a good idea overall and it came to a success.

Junk in the Trunk

I'm looking through my possessions right now, wondering what I could get rid of and what I want to hold onto. If I were to do what Freyer did, and sell all of my possessions, I think I would feel lighter and more comfortable. When I read this piece, I realized I carry a lot of junk with me that are just tokens of my past. I have knick knacks that are useless, except for the fact that they carry a memory with them- even the smallest piece of crap. I hold onto these possessions because I am afraid of forgetting the memory, or in some instances, I don't think I deserve to forget.
In a way, I think Freyer is running away from his past. Yes, he is lightening his load and holding onto memories instead of physical objects, but if he were trying to sell off his possessions to get rid of a thought that is haunting him, I think he is going about it the wrong way. If I were to do this, I would want to sell off my things for different reasons. The intention would have to be something productive, like to get rid of junk, to make some money, or because I don't use it anymore- not to escape a thought.
Throughout the past few years, I have been trying to let go of some objects I don't need anymore. I give away jewelry I don't wear, clothes I don't use... I give all of these things away in hopes that people will use them instead of just having them lay around. I might ask about some of my fancier objects I used to own, but for the most part, I wouldn't want to ask what they are doing with my old possessions.
I wish him the best of luck with his website and his journey to rid himself of his things and I might take a leaf out of his book, too, by going through my stuff shortly and ridding myself of the nonsense I am holding onto.

"This is just a place for my stuff. That's all."

"Have you noticed that their stuff is shit and your shit is stuff?" - Carlin

When I heard Carlin say that I literally laughed out loud. However comedic it sounds, though, it is still true. People - especially Americans - really do identify themselves by their possessions and their possessions alone. We get so attached to things that we want to take everything with us when we leave. Every morning it takes me forever to actually leave my house to come to campus because I make sure I have all of my "stuff" several times. While I probably really would be in trouble if I forgot a book or assignment for class, it would not be the end of the world if I forgot my four extra pens, two back-up highlighters, Chapstick, and iPod. Right?

We think we have to have everything because we're caught up in the proverbial "American Dream" that says we deserve everything because we are Americans.

I don't want to be a person who is defined by the things that I own. Instead, I want to define those things and make them mine. Shouldn't my person be complex enough to not have to be identified by my yellow mechanical pencil or my red hat? I really like my red hat, but I don't really want to be labeled as "that girl who wears the ridiculous red hat."

But even I say things like, "Oh, yeah. That's Jim. He has the red Gran Prix," or "Sally is the one who has the ugly book bag," and those around me know exactly who I'm talking about. Maybe Sally thinks her book bag is the cutest book bag ever, but to everyone else, it's just her "shit" and it means nothing. Maybe we just need to be a little more understanding to others and their need for things, too. It's not all about us - there are other people out there who need room for their stuff.

I think it's pathetic that mere objects matter so much, but that's how it is. People have to have this or have to have that, so those things are what we "know" each other by.

"All my Stuff"

In this article, Freyer is bound to sell all of his belongings in order for him to be able to pack up everything he has left in his car and go to New York. As he continues with his project, he becomes more interested with the people that he sold his stuff too instead of his actual old belongings. Instead of worrying about where his belongings end up going, Freyer becomes more attached to the people and the relationships he has formed with all of the people he has meet while working on his project. Overall, he realizes that he wants to go back home to Iowa and start his life back over.
Throughout Freyers life he had given up when things got hard, and just moved and restarted his life, instead of facing the consequences and trying to overcome an obstacle he would run away. This made me think about my life. Has there ever been a time where I had wanted to give up and run away from my problems? The answer is yes. However, instead of getting up and running away I had no choice but to face my problems and conquer them.
In addition, while reading this I began to think about all of my stuff that I brought up to school with me. I brought all types of stuff with my, from stuff I needed to things that I wanted to see on a regular basis. I brought the things that in my opinion mean the most to me. Also I do want to say I do have a house with all my stuff and I do lock my door so that none of my stuff is taken. Honestly, I would never want to get rid of all my stuff.

All my life for Sale

I would have to say that is article was very interesting I like how he choose to sell all of his stuff instead of throwing it away I don't know how anyone could possibly want things that were made in the 80's and 90's. I also have to admit that I to have a lot of thing that I still keep due to the fact that they have sentimental value to me. But after a while I kinda get sick of staring at it and just throw it away. There aren't a lot of things that I have choose to bring to college with me because they do have that sentimental value and i want to keep it in a place that is safe and not in harm of getting stolen.

But I also think that there is a time when you keep things because they mean something to you and then there is a time when you keep things just to keep them because someone gave them to you. In this case I think that he was just keeping things just to keep them because he found them at garage sales and thought he could use them. At some point and time you have to think and say to yourself. "Wow my house is getting full and a lot of this stuff I don't even use." I don't think you should get to the point where you become a hoarder. So I am glad that he decided to get rid of some of his stuff.

I also thought it was interesting that he decided to start his own dot com instead of just putting all his items on eBay. I thought that it would take him a long time to sell them because everyone in the world knows about eBay, and he would have to advertise his website in order to get people to recognize it and decide to buy things from there. I thought he has a great idea on knowing where his things were going to so he asked his buyers to update him on the items that they purchased. I would have done the same because i think that it would be cool to know what other people have decided to do with your things. In all I think that this guy had a bright idea and decided to run with it and in the end it worked out for the best.

Reading 'All My Life For Sale'

Reading about John Freyer’s collection of unneeded stuff reminded me of the poem “What’s in My Journal” by William Stafford. The first line of the poem is “Odd things, like a button drawer.” Those words seem so simple, yet isn’t it a distinct image? Sure, you probably don’t have an entire apartment you could auction off like Freyer, but you probably have a drawer or box filled with odds and ends, like Stafford’s button drawer. I know I do, and I don’t know why I keep most of it.

Freyer, of course, isn’t the first one to suggest that one can free themselves by getting rid of the clutter in their lives. It’s an ongoing cycle in the lives of many Americans. We gather nik-naks and collectibles year round, only to sell them off in a yard sale or give them away to a thrift store later on. Some call it spring cleaning. I liked Will Helfirch’s comment that “John Freyer personifies an American paradox,” as we feel the need to consume and build while still wanting individuality and freedom to move at will.

It’s interesting to see Freyer’s change in reasoning through out his project. His shift in focus from the objects to the people they belonged to following 9/11 paints a picture of the way that unfortunate event brought many Americans together. His final realization that he should stop running from things makes his journey much like the “coming of age” stories in movies and novels.

"stuff"

I really admire Freyer for what he did. As I was reading the passage from his book, I was looking around and noticing all the things I had brought with me from home so that I could live comfortably at school. Many of the items I own seem ridiculous and useless, except that they have some sort of memory or story attatched to them that I am afraid of forgetting. Other items seem necessary and I couldn't possibly imagine not having them. . . but then again, Freyer sold his toaster, his clothes, family memoribilia! Freyer started off simply realising that he needed to declutter his life in order to continue living the life he was trying to create for himself, but he came to the realization that selling a few items here and there would never truly be enough "decluttering."
I collect items all the time. People give me things and I hold onto them: letters, mugs, shirts, pens, ridiculous little things that have no real business being in my life. I buy useless items all the time too! Yet I constantly berate other people for relying on material things. I figured that because I wasn't running out to buy the latest gadget or whatever, that I wasn't materialistic. But stuff is stuff. . . or as Carlin said so eloquently "there stuff is shit and your shit is stuff."
I am happy that in the end, Freyer has his little epiphany. He choose to stop running around brooding over his stuff and their places in other people's lives and he chose to settle down. Not settle in life, but settle down, become as he said "grounded" somewhere.
I think we all want to have things, big and small, expensive and inexpensive, etc. but we also want to be able to just leave and escape when life seems too daunting or maybe just mundane. We crave that freedom yet we simultaneously crave possessions. I am not sure which is more important, if one even is. I have lots of things I could never part with and I have a lot of desire to just go sometimes. And if I went somewhere I'd find it necessary to pack a "smaller version of my stuff" as Carlin said so I guess I will somewhat reluctantly come to the conclusion that I am human and that means that the need for stuff and the need for unbrideled freedom are just part of my nature.