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The Things of This World
By Marc | October 11, 2007
Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." – Luke 12:15
I’ve revealed quite a bit about myself in these little writings, mostly nothing a person would want to brag about. I’m a cheesy movie lovin’, hair band listenin’, old, married veteran of the Mullet Wars with anger issues. There’s probably more, but I also have a poor memory. I’m not giving you these little bits of ammunition out of pride. Trust me, I’m not proud of the mullet. I offer my past to keep me humble and maybe help to share a point or two.
This next little part of me cost probably thousands of dollars over the years. It started in early 1982, when I was still eleven. I had experimented before, but now I was bent on making this my goal. Within a few years, I was a full-on comic book geek with longboxes, backer boards, and Mylar bags.
You might laugh, but I took comics very seriously. I was protective of my stash. I cringed when my step-dad would read one and fold it back on itself like some kind of cheap paperback. I refused to let my little brother even look at them, let alone touch one. When I was at my most depressed, sometimes the only thing that kept me going was the fear of my mom throwing the whole bunch into the dumpster (which she threatened to do on more than one occasion).
In junior high/high school, I would head to the grocery store and rummage through the newest selection on Wednesday afternoons when they got magazines in. If they weren’t stocked yet, I would hang around until they were. A typical addict waiting for his supplier.
But it wasn’t just the objects themselves. I strove to know everything in the continuity of Marvel and DC superhero stories. I read every word in as many Official Marvel Handbooks as I could get my hands on. I spazzed out when 20/20 ran a segment on comics, which I still have on VHS. Whenever a show featuring a comic character was on or even referenced, I was quick to pull out the fanboy reaction of pointing out every flaw.
I’d get too busy at times for my precious hobby, but in time I’d be back, more ravenous than before. I’d buy books I had no real intention of reading. When I was in college and the Navy, I bought them because they were "hot" titles at the time, I liked the cover, I had a quota to fill, so on and so forth. If it was there, chances are I would buy it.
My collection has dwindled and grown over the years. In college I got rid of most of them to gain space and acquire more reading material. Earlier this year I gave away two longboxes to someone who gets more joy out of them than I ever could. I still have one left with my core collection, the stuff I can’t quite let go of.
One saying often pops into my head that I hadn’t given a lot of thought to years ago: You can’t take it with you. When it comes down to it, what does having a bunch of stuff really give you? For me, my possessions controlled me and gave me immediate enjoyment but really just grief. I protected my stash like a grizzly protects her cubs, and I wanted to acquire more. It’s really miserable having stuff.
Christ said that whoever loses his life for Him will gain it. But also letting go of the possessions that were my life has freed me so much. It’s like a weight lifted. I don’t need to worry about as much (fire, water damage, curious children), I free up space in my house, and I can spend money on more important stuff like food and mortgage.
One thing you can always think to keep in perspective: It all burns. Comics, books, DVDs, CDs, cars, fancy clothes, money. Possessions. Things. They’re all temporary. Nothing of this world lasts (except plastic in a landfill). Even health, looks, and knowledge will one day fade. Family, friends, and God: these are the important things that make it all worth while.
I used to buy comic trading cards by the box. I went through the other day and sorted them all out to see what I could sell. It turns out I have three complete sets of Superman Platinum cards and two complete sets of Kingdom Come Extra. I would have another set of both if I had one more card. Complete sets of Marvel 1991, Marvel Masterpiece series, Andy Griffith Show, blah blah blah. Do I need all this stuff? No. Do they improve my life in any way? No. They’re just more collections, more chains, more things that gather dust.
I don’t condemn comic books, comic fans, comic creators at all. Hobbies are good and good for you, but they shouldn’t control you and become addictions. I still enjoy a good story now and then, and I sometimes wish I were totally caught up on what’s gone on in the histories over the last decade or so. I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment and don’t have the time. I’ll pull out my Swamp Thing and Watchmen trade paperbacks and re-read them occasionally before I go to bed, but that’s all I want.
I need to get rid of more stuff, but I think I’ll go eBaying or something. There’s no need to just throw them all away. I’m keeping the Sandman cards, though. They mean too much.
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