Hey Body. Thanks for everything. Thanks for 44 years of life. Thanks for getting me through this global pandemic. Thanks for taking the first vaccine shot like a champ. Thanks for keeping me from throwing up for years. I really hate throwing up.

No problem. You’re welcome. Thanks for recognizing me.

I’m sorry I’m so critical of you. I know you’re not perfect but you’re pretty damn good. I’m so sorry that I haven’t been a great partner. I know that we’re carrying around too much baggage. It’s weighing us down and we need to let it go. Why do you think we’re hoarding extra mass? Comfort?

Probably. Our house has always looked like this. I mean, there was that one time in college when we did a massive clean out. That was draining and hard, but we felt really good. I think, you know, we might be scared to be without this stuff. It’s what we know. We can hide behind it.

But what are we hiding from?

…. Not sure.

If we cleaned up all the stuff, would we feel empty?

Well, the thing is… this house shrinks as you empty is. So really, it would just be smaller, and more manageable. Easier to heat, cool, etc. And easier to transport.

Like a tiny home?

I don’t know if we need to go THAT far, I’d like the toilet and shower to be normal size and functioning, but… yeah. Smaller and able to go more places more comfortably.

Like to the bottom of the grand canyon.

And back up.

So, how do we do it? How do we start getting rid of the stuff?

I mean, you know how. It won’t be easy.

No. It’s not easy. (pause. mad) Why do you tell me to eat so much candy?!

Don’t look at me! I don’t do that. That’s your BRAIN.

Yeah- my brain is PART OF MY BODY.

Hey- you’ve got me so crammed full of stuff. I don’t know which way is which. I’m trying to tell you things but you keep just doing dingy repairs. Like, you stay up too late; you keep all the lights on, all the power going. There’s no time to rest and recharge and then you get frustrated when things don’t work properly! It’s really not fair. So then the light in the hallway flickers and you bang the ceiling instead of replacing the bulb. (I.E. You’re tired so you eat chocolate.) Yeah, so, don’t blame me. I’m doing the best I can with what I’m given.

Hmph

AND. AND! The fuel you’re giving me is only good about half the time. Do you have any idea how hard it is to digest three bowls of lucky charms? It’s like, sugar and carb overload with no nutrients!

But it feels so good when I eat it. It makes me feel better.

In the short term. It might give us a burst of energy, a dopamine rush, and more stuff coming in is comforting, but in the long term it’s hard on the power system. And it just perpetuates the bad habits and situation we’re already in.

It’s not so terrible, is it? This comfy, full home?

No. No it’s not. I’m doing fine all things considered. But you know it could be better. And don’t we deserve that? After all, I’m not going to be around forever.

Yeah.