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Moving (and not moving)

I helped a friend move over the weekend, moving her only a few streets away from where she was. It was a smart thing for her to do -- going from a small apartment complex in a sketchy area to a chilled-out carriage house in a pretty quiet area.

As I helped lift some rather heavy boxes and figured out ways to get some of the furniture out of the old place and into the new one, I thought about when I'll be moving next. It's been seven years since I had to do that, and I'm in no rush to pack up and move away. If I were to move, it would have to be in a better living situation than the one I'm in now -- and I'm pretty happy with the one I've had for seven years.

I can understand the desire to own less if you move every couple of years. I moved ten times in college. Prior to that, I moved twice. Huge difference. And in the college experience (and post-college), I was ready to settle into a place and try and stay there for more than two years.

But now I'm becoming the "Stuff" bit by George Carlin.

My friend wanted to get rid of a bookshelf and I immediately thought of a way to put it to great use. The shelf now sits between my two main ones and it houses almost all of my Stephen King hardcovers. It looks great in the reading room and I'm happy to have everything in one place -- and it kinda reminds me of the cases I found the hardcovers at Half Price Books.

I find staying in one space is a sense of stability. I'm not on the hook for a mortgage, but I'm not necessarily afraid of being in one. I hope to someday have a backyard so my dog can run free and chase as many cats as she wants to. But until then, I like staying put in a situation that is ideal for where I am in my life.

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