The right number of toys

“He who dies with the most toys wins.”

A popular bumper sticker I saw in the Gordon Gekko era of the 80s. And a very popular sentiment for many decades in the USA.

In more recent years, though, the aging of society has brought a new perspective, as many people are tasked with sorting through houses jam-packed with accumulated possessions — their parents’; and their own.

One might almost go so far as to say that the new motto is, “He who dies with the least toys wins.”

Or more precisely, we might say the winners are those who manage to judiciously distribute, wear out, or use up their possessions in a gradual manner as they age. Ideally not being left with anything unused or unwanted.

And also not “cheating” by sending piles of stuff to landfill. Regardless of how good it might feel to clear out one’s junked-up space.

It’s a challenge for sure!