EXCESS STUFF

 At the beginning of the Covid crisis I was askance at the hoarding of toilet paper.  There was some reasonable explanation, in that more people were staying home and not using commercial TP, and because of that, manufacturers had to retool and step up to the demand.  Those of us who didn't hoard had problems when the normal time to stock up came and we couldn't find it.  All of this has little to do with the current post, other than to bring the subject of hoarding to mind.

This tendency to "stock up" is more pronounced in older folks.  Of course, lots of times it's because we acquire stuff that doesn't wear out and who knows when we might need it again.  I've often posted about my collection of bike jerseys.  I now have over thirty.  I think in the thirty-plus years I've been riding, I've only tossed out two.  Some of the oldest ones only get worn once or twice a year, but they're still serviceable.  I have lots of bike socks also.  I have half a dozen brand new that have been waiting their turn for over five years.  Bike shorts wear out.  But I still wear the ones that are fifteen years old (on short rides).

Staying on the sock subject, several years prior to my retirement in 2005 I purchased dress socks, a necessity for work.  I still wear them when the occasion requires.  I have a lifetime of dress socks of various sedate colors.  Mostly I wear white athletic socks, purchased in bulk at Sam's.  These last maybe three or four years.  I my dresser drawer is an unopened package of twelve such pair.  They have been there for three years waiting for the current crew to wear out and be put in the travel drawer (where they will go on the next vacation and never return).  In my underwear drawer I have a rotation of twelve which is usually sufficient to last between laundry days.  Sadly, I have another twelve new ones that have been waiting their turn for a little over a year.  That's not a lifetime supply, but I'm thinking ten years.