My post on OneCity - You are not your khakis

Every Wednesday morning, I post on the Interdependence Project's One City - Population: Everone blog. My post this week is also relevant to what we do in our Voluntary Simplicity Circle, so I thought I would invite you to join in the discussion. Here is a segment of the post:

While we may rail against consumerism, sometimes we are just pulled to certain material things. They bring us joy and excitement. Aaron C. Ahuvia argues in his article, Beyond the Extended Self: Loved Objects and Consumers’ Identity Narratives, that some “loved” objects that we own help us create a coherent story of ourselves. Loved objects and activities help to structure our social relationships and support our well-being.

Objects can tell stories. They can hold family histories. They can represent friendships and symbolize marriages. They recreate our culture. We pass them down from generation to generation.

I can find beauty and love embedded in objects – from amazing works of art to my father’s neckties. However I have a hard time putting my finger on the point when this craving for objects goes from meaningful storytelling, family heirlooms, or culture regeneration to excessive disposable waste. When do objects become disposable? When do they go from loved items to just the latest fashion trend?

Read the rest here: http://onecity.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/you-are-not-your-khakis/