Mine! Mine! My daughter grabbed at her baby doll (her name was Molly and it was her most prized possession. Sorry, SHE was her most prized possession as the doll is a SHE and not an IT. I have been corrected many times) and held onto it like someone was around the corner waiting to jump out and take it from her. I guess the apple does not fall far from the tree. It reminded me how I would hoard my Matchbox Cars when my little friends would come over. They were MINE, and all they wanted to do was to crash them into each other, throw them in the mud, and then they would go home leaving me with dilapidated cars for the rest of my childhood. Not happening on my watch. They can bring their own dang cars if they want to play.

There is a time in our lives when all we are concerned with is me, my and mine. Whatever affects me is all that matters. When I am hungry, I want to be fed. I could care less if you are hungry and I could care even less about what trouble you have to go through to get me my food. All I know is I want food and I want it now. My toys are my toys and you better keep your grubby hands off them. There is no “you break it, you buy it” slogan around me. You do not break it because you keep away from it and do not touch it. It is mine and when I go over to your house, you can be the same way with me. I do not care. All I am concerned right now is me and my stuff.

I am not sure at what age I started to realize how much my parents did for me each day. The trouble they went through to get me to all my baseball games, to church on Sundays, to school each day, to practices and tryouts must have been exhausting. The money spent on me throughout my adolescent years could have been in the millions as far as I know. I never did without, never went hungry and never wanted for anything. Sure, we were not rich, and truly looking back on most of my childhood, we might have fallen into the poverty category, but we were just fine. I now look back and with a grateful heart, see how my dad did without so much in order for us to have what we wanted. He took care of my mom. He always drove the crappy car so mom would have the nice one. He always gave of what he had in order to get me that new glove or cleats for baseball that I wanted, but did not truly need anything.

Now that I am older (and somewhat wiser), I have found myself trying to do the same thing. You sacrifice what you have for the needs of others. You give to organizations that exist solely in order to improve the life of those who have not had the same fortune as the rest of us. Organizations such as Blue Line Overland who has raffles to raise money to buy Christmas gifts for needy children. SheepDog Impact Assistance who takes wounded and disabled veterans on outdoor adventures to get them “off the couch” and away from the danger of committing suicide or going through depression. The Marine Corps Toys for Tots program, different Motorcycle Clubs sponsoring families for Christmas or providing Thanksgiving dinners are seen every single year. Even at the Big Iron Overland Rally, vendors donated items for an auction and monies to help paint Big Brutus, the centerpiece of the rally and historical landmark.

The Overlanding/Camping/Outdoors Lifestyle and families that make it up genuinely care about others. From getting out of bed to help those who are stuck and stranded, to loaning out equipment and gear to those who have nothing in order for them to have an experience is what makes this family what it is. Those who fire up the Dutch Ovens and cook for everyone at camp know what it means to love one another. The invitations to camp. The giving away of unneeded gear we have piled up in every corner of the garage to those who cannot afford it. The supporting of each other through Social Media, Patreon, and other ways … I see it almost every day. It brings joy. It gives a sense of fulfillment that can never come from sitting at home, thinking of only yourself and hoarding your toys.

Yes, having many toys is fun. You can show them off. You can shine them, wash them, and take very good care of them. However, the time you spend doing that will never bring you the joy, build friendships, and give you that feeling that nobody can take away, like when you share with others, help others, and care for others.

There are things that belong to YOU and you only. There are laws on possessions and rights when it comes to property. I own this. I worked hard for this. I am not a rich person and what I have means a lot to me because with each purchase, those items bought with lots of time and sweat. Nevertheless, what I do with those things is a decision that comes from my heart. I choose how I use my possessions and what I do with them. I can take my rig and park it far away from others, daring anyone to come close, or I can invite others, make friends, invite others to park beside me and choose to be a genuinely kind person.

Things are replaceable. Everything we own is replaceable, but the rewards we get when we share and care, when we spend that time using our rigs and gear to make memories, which cannot be replaced. That is what will last forever. Those things are MINE, but when I am gone I will not be able to take them with me. What will be left, after I am gone, will be the legacy of what I did and how I used them.

That legacy will be all that will be MINE.